Former President Trump’s Unfounded Claims About Emptied Prisons in the Congo
Former President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that “the Congo” has released violent criminals from its prisons to come to the US border as migrants lack factual basis. Both the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo have denied these claims, stating they are entirely false.
Denial from Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo
“Everything he is saying isn’t true,” said Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of Congo, in response to News Finder’s inquiry on Thursday. Katembwe refuted Trump’s claims about Congolese prisons being emptied of violent criminals, stating, “Never ever, it’s not true.” He further expressed his concern that Trump’s stories were damaging for the country.
Serge Mombouli, the Republic of Congo’s ambassador to the US, echoed similar sentiments in an email to News Finder on Friday: “There is no truth or any sign nor a single fact supporting such a claim or statement.”
Factual Analysis from News Finder and Human Rights Organizations
News Finder’s fact check confirmed that Trump’s statements are baseless. Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, along with pro-immigration and anti-immigration organizations in the US, all reported that they have not encountered any evidence to support Trump’s claims. Neither Trump’s presidential campaign nor an allied super PAC responded to requests for proof.
Moreover, a search of two media databases produced no evidence to substantiate Trump’s allegations. Furthermore, there is no significant influx of Congolese migrants overall at the US border, let alone former prisoners in particular.
Trump’s Continued Claims Amidst Biden’s Handling of Immigration
Despite the lack of evidence, Trump continues to make these claims while criticizing President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration. For instance, during a Fox News town hall in late February 2024, Trump claimed: “We have people coming in from everywhere. They’re coming in from the Congo. They interviewed some people last night. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Congo.’ ‘Where did you live?’ ‘Prison.’ They’re emptying out their prisons into our country.”
During a border visit in February 2024, Trump stated: “The Congo – a very big population coming in from jails from the Congo. You look at the jails now, you take a look at the jails throughout the region, but more importantly, throughout the world. They’re emptying out because they’re dumping them into the United States.”
Absence of Evidence from Human Rights Organizations and Media Databases
However, human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which closely monitor the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Republic of Congo, have not observed any evidence for these claims. Additionally, media databases do not provide any corroboration to support Trump’s statements.
The Evolution of Trump’s Unsubstantiated Claims
Trump has a history of making unfounded stories more dramatic or colorful over time. His claims about “the Congo” are part of a long-running series regarding foreign countries supposedly emptying prisons and mental health facilities to send undesirable people to the US as migrants.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made similar claims about Mexico. In 2023, he repeatedly claimed that mental health institutions in South America were deliberately emptying for nefarious migration purposes. However, his campaign could not provide any corroboration for this story. In 2023, he also made unproven claims about migrants being emptied out of foreign prisons.
By January 2024, Trump was specifically referring to migrants who had been prisoners in “the Congo.” By February 2024, he claimed that these Congolese migrants acknowledged having been incarcerated for “murder.”
Trump has never provided a specific source for any of these remarks.
