The view that the Spanish black legend affects current US immigration policy has gained support.[41] Past Spanish ownership of about half of the United States is unknown by most Americans.[42] [page needed] Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell said that he saw a re-emergence of the black legend in European coverage of the Catalan independence movement, particularly by the English-speaking press (which unquestioningly accepted unverified injury figures which turned out to be false).[43]