A photo circulated on social media shows dozens of children sitting close to each other on the floor. Some users claim that the picture is recent and reflects the current circumstances at a U.S. border facility, pointing out that the children do not wear masks or have social distance. The image is incorrectly marked: it is from 2014.
The post here has been shared more than 1,460 times on Facebook: ‘Now we can see how we can finally open schools. Just call them immigrant centers for youth, and just like that, there is no longer a need for 6-foot distance or mask requirements. Just as simple. ”
A Google reverse search on the photo brought up an article by Breitbart from June 5, 2014 on this. According to the Conservative outlet, the images showing “processing centers in Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border” were captured by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Recent photos taken at a US border processing center in Donna, Texas can be seen here. The images, released on March 21, 2021 and provided to Texas by Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, were captured over the weekend, according to his office.
The images show how dozens of migrants were separated in groups by walls of plastic sheets, which lay on the floor and were packed tightly together. One photo shows people of all ages, including children, on the floor. While the coronavirus pandemic is still raging, the photographed migrants appear to be wearing masks but have no social distance.
VERDICT
Incorrectly marked. This photo is from 2014. Recent photos from a U.S. border processing center in Donna, Texas, show migrants wearing masks and crowding close together.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.