Earlier this week, media around the world showed images of U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez clutching her face in despair and weeping at what was implied to be immigrants at the U.S. border. The reality? She was making the scene at a fence surrounding a virtually empty parking lot.

News commentators and reporters said it was a strong reaction to a horrific scene of US migrant detention. Newly released photos from individuals present with Cortez reveal not only she, but the media, was playing fast and loose with the images and the truth.

While quite a few people noted that there was something a bit off about the congresswoman’s photo shoot, it wasn’t until photos began leaking that showed the context of the strange and what critics called “over-dramatic” reaction. The Parking Lot Scandal was exposed. Originally shot at a protest against tent-cities for migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas a year ago, the photos were not published until Monday. They came hot on the heels of the scandal surrounding AOC’s insistence that border detention facilities are “concentration camps.” The initial shots seem almost carefully selected to avoid showing what was on the other side of the chain-link fence… However, when AOC herself reshared them, she attached a comment that hinted it was something bleak indeed. I’ll never forget this, because it was the moment I saw with my own eyes that the America I love was becoming a nation that steals refugee children from their parents & caged them. The rest of the photos from the parking lot protest show a couple of cars, some trees, and a few street lamps visible on the other side, but not so much in terms of “caged refugee children.” AOC has been active in her campaign against what she sees as a growing threat at the border. This week, she launched a campaign against the discount furniture company that provides beds for the immigrants. –Dwight Widaman and wire services