Attention 2020 U.S. presidential candidates:
At Snopes.com, our mission is to provide an essential service to the electorate: verifying facts and debunking rumors. As you are probably aware, professional news outlets have been blocked from having access to detention facilities housing migrant children. This situation is of utmost concern, as the lack of transparency surrounding the care of a highly vulnerable population has resulted in significant claims of abuse and mistreatment that must be taken seriously.
It is without question that immigration is a priority to the American people. In order to make decisions in a democracy, voters must be armed with all the facts. We would like to ask that you, as a candidate for president of the United States, call for the establishment of a procedure that would allow transparency at the facilities housing thousands of vulnerable children at the border, such that public officials and professional journalists can be allowed to assess first-hand conditions inside.
Not only is it our responsibility to verify facts and dispel misinformation, it is our Constitutional right as journalists. We feel it is our duty to bring light to the truth, and it is the obligation of the U.S. government to allow us to do so. In light of recent child-separation policies and reports of poor conditions at these facilities, we strongly urge you to take action on this matter.
Yours truthfully,
Team Snopes