During an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Mayorkas said the false information is “deliberately spread to impact people’s behavior and perceptions.”
“It is extremely pernicious,” he added. “We have individuals in need of assistance, who are entitled to assistance, who aren’t seeking it because of the false information.”
Mayorkas called for officials to debunk the false claims because “we’re not seeing enough of that.”
The false claims began late last month, shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The storm left widespread destruction and an extensive recovery effort for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Mayorkas and other officials have been vocal in debunking the misinformation on the storms, particularly after former President Trump baselessly claimed the government is purposely withholding aid from Republican hurricane victims while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is redirecting disaster relief funds to migrants.
Read more from our colleague Rachel Scully at TheHill.com.
