On April 15, news agencies Info 9, Exclusive Media, and Newshub published screenshots showing an Instagram Story posted by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The social media cards featured in the post include warnings regarding U.S. visas. These news agencies caption the posts identically, claiming that “the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine is posting strange content on Instagram.”
Similar language, describing the embassy’s posts as “strange,” was also used by Russian– and English-speaking users on Facebook and X. Other Russian-speaking Facebook users (1;2) also wrote about the embassy’s posts.
Additionally, Russian state media outlet Ria Novosti and other Kremlin-affiliated media platforms, including Tsargrad, Izvestia, TASS, RT, and Gazeta.ru, circulated information claiming that the embassy had posted the social media cards to warn Ukrainians.
On April 11, a member of the People’s Power party, Davit Kartvelishvili, published a screenshot of a post from the U.S. Embassy in Georgia. He added a caption claiming that the embassy’s warning about overstaying and illegal employment was directed at “members of the United National Movement who have already fled to the U.S. or are preparing to flee,” because, according to him, “before the October 26 elections, we had never seen any such statements (!) from the embassy.”
Information about the posts shared by U.S. embassies is being disseminated manipulatively. The video shared by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine was originally published on the U.S. Department of State’s page. Embassies in other countries also shared the video – for instance, the embassies in North Macedonia and Hungary. Similar warnings about visa expiration and illegal work have been shared by embassies in countries such as Belgium and Israel. Additionally, the message about the risk of deportation in case of legal violations is being distributed not only in Georgia but in other countries as well. These social media cards reflect the strict stance on illegal migrants taken by the Trump administration and are not directed at any specific group.
-
Posts Published by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine
In April, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine posted an Instagram Story, which it later added to its Instagram Highlights under the title “Secure Borders.” The video features a message from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that individuals whose visas have expired or have been revoked will be required to leave the United States.
In a second Instagram Story, it is explained that visiting the United States is a privilege extended to those who respect U.S. laws and values. This message is also attributed to Marco Rubio.
Subsequently, several Georgian media outlets reported on this content as if the messages specifically targeted a certain group – Ukrainian refugees residing in the U.S. In reality, one of Marco Rubio’s messages regarding the privilege of visiting the U.S. was originally published on the State Department’s page on April 12. The post includes a link to a Fox News article authored by Rubio, in which he reiterates the same statement. The article does not mention Ukraine. Instead, Rubio mentions Hamas and antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish students but says nothing about Ukrainian refugees.
It was precisely this message that was later shared by the State Department and published by U.S. embassies in various countries. However, the message does not target any specific group, which is further evidenced by its coordinated dissemination in different countries. For example, an identical social media card was posted by the U.S. embassies in Brussels and The Hague.
On April 10, another post was published on the State Department’s official pages, urging those without valid visas to leave the country. This message also does not target a specific audience from any particular country. As explained in the description, the U.S. continues to check visa holders even after issuance, and those who violate immigration laws will have their visas revoked and be deported.
This warning was not shared solely by the embassy in Ukraine. On April 11, the same video was published by the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia, and it was also shared by embassies in India, Mongolia, Bhutan, and others. Therefore, the message was not created for any single group but applied to everyone planning to remain in the U.S. illegally.
In addition to the abovementioned two messages, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine also published further warnings (1;2;3) regarding deportation and visa control.
These social media cards were not intended exclusively for Ukrainian citizens and they were shared by U.S. embassies in other countries as well. For instance, they were posted by the embassy in Brussels (1;2), on the U.S. Mission to NATO’s page; by the embassy in Jerusalem, and others (1;2;3;4).
-
Does the U.S. Embassy’s Post in Georgia Target the Opposition?
In a post published by the U.S. Embassy in Georgia on April 11, the following statement appears: “Overstaying or working illegally has serious penalties. If you stay after your visa expires or work without permission, you are breaking U.S. law. You could face jail, deportation, and a permanent ban from entering the United States.”
In reality, just like in the case of Ukraine, this post is part of the Trump administration’s strict policy on illegal migrants and is not related to the October 26 elections, as claimed by Davit Kartvelishvili. Combating illegal immigration was a key part of Trump’s pre-election campaign, and the White House has consistently published updates on enforcement measures even after the inauguration. According to the latest data, since Trump took office, cases of illegal border crossings by migrants into the U.S. have dropped by 98%, after peaking in 2023. As of March 23, immigration enforcement centers were holding approximately 48,000 migrants.
In addition to the previously mentioned examples, warnings about ongoing visa checks and deportation in case of violations have been shared by U.S. embassies in many other countries, including Denmark, Athens, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Iceland, Lithuania, and more (1;2;3;4;5).
Archive: (1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;10;11)
The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.
Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.
