Video doesn't show Arkansas farmers praying for 'more Mexicans.' Here's the truth

The clip spread online amid reports of U.S. farmers being squeezed by rising prices and trade wars. Published Oct. 8, 2026 Claim: A video posted in October authentically depicts a man leading a group of Arkansas farmers in praying for "more Mexicans" to keep farms running. Rating: ContextThe visuals in the footage have an authentic origin, but the audio has been edited to significantly change the meaning of the prayer. On Oct. 4, a social media user posted a video purportedly depicting a man leading a group of Arkansas farmers in prayer, asking "baby Jesus" for "more Mexicans" to replace the "Mexicans we had deported" to save their farms. The user posted the footage to Facebook (archived) and Instagram (archived). The audio seemingly shows the man leading the prayer saying: Dear Baby Jesus, please help us. We're losing our farms. We know we sent all the Mexicans away. Dear Lord, please send us some more Mexicans to replace the Mexicans we had deported. We're going to lose our farms; please, Baby Jesus and all things holy. Amen. The clip spread amid numerous reports of rising prices and trade wars impacting U.S. farmers. In short, the visuals in the video have an authentic origin, but the audio has been edited to significantly change the meaning of the prayer. Therefore, we rate the audio as fake. The authentic footage originates from a broadcast by KATV 7, a TV news station in Little Rock, Arkansas. The channel posted the segment to YouTube on Sept. 2, 2025 (archived), more than a year earlier than when the edited clip was circulating. It shows hundreds of Arkansas farmers in a school gymnasium seeking the federal government's help regarding their financial struggles. At about 2:24, the video cuts to a man leading the farmers in prayer. He can be heard saying: Farmers, in my opinion, dear Lord, and it's only my opinion, are closer to you than anyone else on this Earth because we deal with your Earth every day. Dear Lord, we're hurting, dear Lord. We can't help what's happened to us. According to KATV 7's article about the event, also published on Sept. 2, 2025, the farmer then said, "We need help, dear Lord." Another piece of evidence that the "more Mexicans" iteration of the clip is edited is the quality of its audio. The prayer in the edited version is sharp, clear and lacking an echo. Inside a school gymnasium, the audio of the farmers praying should, in reality, feature an echo, like the man's voice does in the original footage. Both Facebook and Instagram identified the audio as original to Aaron Beltrán, the person who appeared to first post the edited clip on both platforms. Snopes reached out to Beltrán to ask whether he originally edited and posted the manipulated video, if the voice is his own and if the content was meant to be satirical. We will update this story if we receive a reply. For further reading, we addressed a claim that U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran "can take out" Los Angeles and San Diego. Sources Douglas, Leah, et al. 'Record US Diesel Prices Squeeze Farmers; Food Prices May Rise'. Reuters, 18 Sept. 2026, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/record-us-diesel-prices-squeeze-farmers-food-prices-may-rise-2026-09-18/.Evers, Tony (Gov. ). 'From Labor Challenges to Tariff Taxes and Trade Wars, President Trump Is Making Life Harder for Farmers across Our State and Our Country.' X, 5 Oct. 2026, https://x.com/GovEvers/status/2107104757651534022.Horsley, Scott. "American Farmers Are Hurting -- and Worried About Their Futures." NCPR, North Country Public Radio, 25 Sept. 2026, www.npr.org/2026/09/25/nx-s1-5979886/farmers-crops-economy-diesel-fertilizer. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.KATVchannel7. "Hundreds of Struggling Arkansas Farmers Ask Federal Government to Save Them." YouTube, 2 Sept. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqK21LfqnGw. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.Mobley, Andrew. "Hundreds of Struggling Arkansas Farmers Ask Federal Government to Save Them." KATV, 2 Sept. 2025, katv.com/news/local/hundreds-of-struggling-arkansas-farmers-ask-federal-government-to-save-them-agriculture-ag-economy-farm-bill-commodity-prices-safety-net-big-beautiful-bill-derek-haigwood-brookland-farming-delta-farm-bankruptcy-closure-sale-trump-boozman-crawford. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026."Original Audio Aaron.Manuel.Beltran." Instagram, www.instagram.com/reels/audio/28596838603330581/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.Westcott, Ben, et al. 'Diesel Prices Surge Just as Farmers Need Fuel the Most'. Bloomberg, 7 Oct. 2026, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-10-07/diesel-price-surge-hits-farmers-raising-food-inflation-risk. By Emery Winter Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games. Article Tags