On Saturday, the Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) demanded that United States (US) Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey “formally open criminal investigations into the political stunt” by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that brought 50 Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio, Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts “under false pretences.”
The LCR, who represent about 30 of the 50 migrants for free, accused DeSantis of making “numerous false promises” like work opportunities, schooling for their children, and immigration assistance “in order to induce them to travel,” only to leave them in a lurch after the two chartered planes landed in Martha’s Vineyard, thus exploiting them for “political purposes.”
“Individuals, working in concert with State officials, including the Florida Governor, made numerous false promises to LCR’s clients — including of work opportunities, schooling for their children, and immigration assistance — in order to induce them to travel,” attorneys wrote.
— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) September 18, 2022
“Not only did those responsible for this stunt know that there was no housing or employment awaiting the migrants, they also very intentionally chose not to call ahead to any single authority on Martha’s Vineyard so that even the most basic human needs arrangement could not be made,” claimed Rachel Self, a Boston lawyer representing some of the migrants.
“[The] LCR urges immediate law enforcement action to protect the rights of the Vineyard 50, preserve evidence, and hold perpetrators accountable,” the organisation said in a statement.
The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins says she'll be speaking with members of the Department of Justice about Ron DeSantis sending the migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. She added that their first priority is making sure the people who arrived were treated respectfully.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 16, 2022
However, Governor DeSantis refuted all allegations, saying the migrants had signed a waiver and were given a package containing a map of Martha’s Vineyard. “It’s obvious that’s where they were going,” he claimed in a press conference at Daytona Beach, Florida, adding that it was all “voluntary.”
DeSantis also revealed that $12 million from the state budget have been allocated toward relocating migrants to sanctuary cities in an effort “to protect Florida.” “These are just the beginning efforts,” DeSantis remarked, adding, “We’ve got an infrastructure in place now… There may be more flights, there may be buses.”
In Florida, we take what is happening at the southern border seriously.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 15, 2022
We are not a sanctuary state, and we will gladly facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. pic.twitter.com/YeEbMzy8yG
It is unclear whether what DeSantis did can be deemed illegal, as states can transport migrants to other regions after they are served papers to appear in court. However, if there is evidence that the migrants were lied to then they could file tort suits for fraud or severe emotional distress.
In this regard, a few of the 50 Venezuelans claimed that they were misled, as they were apparently told mid-air that they would be travelling to Martha’s Vineyard instead of Boston. White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan asserted, “Luring asylum seekers under false pretenses and then abandoning them on the side of the road thousands of miles away is not the solution to a global challenge — in fact, those are the kinds of tactics that smugglers are arrested for.”
HAPPENING NOW: Migrants, flown into Martha’s Vineyard by Fl’s governor, are boarding buses. They’ll be heading to Joint Base Cape Cod, according to officials. 125 Mass National Guard members are being activated to assist. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/RLwxNPu8GM
— Emilie Ikeda (@EmilieIkedaNBC) September 16, 2022
The 50 migrants were transported from Martha’s Vineyard to the Joint Base Cape Cod temporarily on Friday and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is ensuring access to food, shelter, and essential services for the group. Furthermore, Governor Charlie Baker aims to enlist about 125 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to partake in the relief effort.
“Our Administration has been working across state government to develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the services they need going forward, and Joint Base Cape Cod is well equipped to serve these needs,” Baker said in a statement.
by ending Trump policies that protected Americans & migrants by forcing them to remain in Mexico while awaiting asylum claims.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 17, 2022
The invasion into our country is also allowed by tying the hands of Border Patrol & ICE agents with policies that destroy their ability to enforce laws.
This comes against the backdrop of Texas Governor Greg Abbott sending 10,000 migrants through buses to Washington, New York, and Chicago and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey sending 1,800 refugees to Washington since April in an effort to address the mounting issue of immigration at the southern border. In fact, DeSantis blamed the Biden administration for failing to control illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border, as a record 1.8 million people have been arrested this year.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed DeSantis for using the migrants “as political pawns, treated them like chattel in a cruel, premeditated political stunt.” She went on to say that the Republicans are only interested in “creating political theater than creating actual solutions to help folks who are fleeing communism, to help children, to help families.”
The Venezuelan migrants that Ron DeSantis sent to Martha’s Vineyard were NOT here illegally. They were asylum seekers who fled the socialist Maduro regime, and have legitimate claims for asylum. Exploiting these vulnerable people for a political stunt is cruel and despicable.
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) September 15, 2022
Similarly, President Joe Biden condemned the Republican Governor’s move as “un-American” and “reckless,” accusing him of “playing politics with human beings.”