AI deep fake of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bragging about deporting Mexican firefighters goes viral

A video clip of Gov. Greg Abbott boasting about deporting Mexican firefighters who crossed the border to help rescue flood victims went viral over the weekend, sewing online arguments about immigration enforcement.

There’s just one problem: the footage isn’t real.

Instead, it’s an AI-generated “deep fake. Formatted as a news story, the clip includes altered footage of the Republican governor — a known immigration hardliner — speaking at a new conference about flood recovery efforts. The minute-and-a-half-long clip began circulating Saturday on social media platform X.

In it, Abbott appears to tell reporters he’s in favor the deportation of firefighters from Fundación 911 and Dirección de Protección Civil y Bomberos de Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico — a group of laddermen who arrived in Kerr County last week to help with flood rescue efforts, as reported by the Current.

“I support ICE deporting the Mexicans who helped during the floods,” Abbott appears to say. “They didn’t have authorization, I confirmed it.”

In the convincing video, a woman who sounds like a news anchor narrates a story that seems too bizarre to be true. She alleges Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surrounded the Mexican firefighters at gunpoint, threw them to the ground and put them in a van.

“It was all caught on video,” the woman continues. “And the worst part? Just a few feet away, a family was still trapped inside their home. No one came to rescue them, because the only people helping were already in handcuffs.”

In a Sunday Facebook post, officials with Fundación 911 and Dirección de Protección Civil y Bomberos de Acuña confirmed that none of the organizations’ firefighters deployed to Texas have been deported or detained by ICE.

“We want to clarify that the 911 Foundation and the Heroic Fire Department of Ciudad Acuña have not been arrested or detained by ICE or CBP agents,” the translated statement reads. “The work we do is focused on supporting our community, and we regret any false information circulating. We appreciate your support and trust.”

Abbott’s press office also told the Current the video isn’t real.

Even, so the fake video is still circulating on X and was recently reshared by social media influencer Morgan J. Freeman. His post of the clip has garnered more than 1.1 million views at press time, drawing outrage online from both sides of the aisle.

“I don’t care how nice or helpful you are,” user @twanismae commented. “If you are here illegally, you need to leave or be removed.”

Meanwhile, user @bronze_west wrote “hope this isn’t true. FUCK MAGA.”

Academics have long cautioned that foreign adversaries could use rapidly advancing AI technology to create phony videos that influence domestic political discourse.

It remains unclear who created the Abbott deep fake or what their intentions were. Just the same, the clip seems to have generated plenty of online arguments.

In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 751, making Texas the first state to to outlaw creating and publishing a deepfake video within 30 days of an election with the intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of the contest.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

This article appears in Jul 10-23, 2025.