---¶

Verification Standards¶

Every. Claim. Gets. Verified.¶

The Three-Source Rule¶

No claim is published as fact unless verified by three independent sources.

Sources	Classification	Publication Standard
1 source	Rumor/Lead	Not published as fact. Queued for investigation.
2 sources	Probable	Published with "PROBABLE" tag and caveats.
3+ sources	Verified	Published as verified fact with confidence level.

"Independent" means the sources do not cite each other. A DOJ press release and three news articles that all quote the DOJ press release count as one source, not four.

Confidence Levels¶

Every dossier and report carries a confidence assessment:

HIGH Confidence¶

3+ independent sources confirm all major claims
Government documents support timeline
No significant contradicting evidence
Medical/legal details consistent across sources

MEDIUM Confidence¶

2-3 sources confirm major claims
Some details unverified or from single source
Minor inconsistencies between sources (dates, ages)
Core facts solid, peripheral details uncertain

LOW Confidence¶

Fewer than 3 sources for major claims
Significant gaps in timeline
Contradicting accounts from different sources
Published with explicit caveats about uncertainty

What Gets Verified¶

For every death/incident, we verify:

Element	Minimum Sources	Notes
Name of victim	3	Spelling may vary across sources
Date of death/incident	3	Compare government vs. media dates
Age	2	Minor discrepancies common
Nationality/citizenship	2	Government records preferred
Location/facility	3	Cross-reference with facility databases
Cause of death	2+	Official cause vs. independent findings
Circumstances	3+	Timeline from multiple perspectives
Facility operator	2	Contract records, news reporting

Verification Techniques¶

Cross-Reference Check¶

Compare the same fact across multiple independent sources. Look for:

Consistent details (dates, names, locations)
Additional details that complement without contradicting
Different perspectives (government vs. media vs. advocacy)

Timeline Reconstruction¶

Build a timeline from all available sources:

Government press releases (official dates/times)
News reporting (additional details, witness accounts)
Court documents (legal timeline)
Medical records (when available via reporting)

Gaps in timeline are flagged explicitly.

Source Reliability Assessment¶

Not all sources are equal:

Government sources: Reliable for facts (arrests, charges), unreliable for framing/narrative
Major media: Generally reliable, may follow government framing
Local media: Often most accurate for on-ground details
Advocacy groups: Reliable for context, may have political framing
Social media: Unreliable without corroboration, useful for leads

Red Flags¶

We watch for:

Single-source claims presented as fact elsewhere
Circular sourcing (outlets citing each other citing same original)
Government narrative contradicted by physical evidence
"Suicide" classifications without independent investigation
Significant delays between death and public disclosure

Corrections Policy¶

When we get something wrong:

Immediate correction — The incorrect information is updated
Transparent notation — A correction note is added explaining what changed and why
Source update — New sources are documented
No silent edits — Every change is tracked via version control

Limitations We Acknowledge¶

What We Can't Verify

Inside detention facilities: We have no direct access. We rely on inspection reports, lawsuits, and detainee accounts reported through media.
Medical records: Full records are rarely public. We analyze what's reported.
Government internal communications: We don't have access to internal ICE/CBP communications unless released via FOIA or litigation.
Deportation destinations: What happens after deportation flights land is extremely difficult to track.
Full death count: ICE may not disclose all deaths promptly. Our count is a minimum.

We are honest about what we know and what we don't. Uncertainty is documented, not hidden.