Ron DeSantis, the Republican Florida Governor wants to send more migrants to two states, Delaware and Illinois, which are considered Democratic strongholds. The Associated Press reported that the Governor’s administration is poised to send more migrants to Illinois, as well as President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware, after sending nearly 50 immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard last month, a DeSantis spokesperson said.
DeSantis wanted to send illegal migrants to Delaware:
According to the outlet, approximately 100 migrants will reportedly be distributed between the two states. It was previously scheduled for the relocation efforts to occur in early October, but they were delayed due to the devastation that the state of Florida experienced due to the recent wrath of Hurricane Ian. Currently, according to the outlet, the deadline is set for the first of December, reported here and here.
“While Florida has had all hands on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program remains active,” DeSantis Communications Director Taryn Fenske told The AP in an email.
For the decision to send the migrants to Martha’s Vineyard where former President Barack Obama owns a sizable home, the governor has faced legal scrutiny and backlash. Apparently, the Florida gubernatorial administration is unperturbed and does not care, but simply wants to get things done.
Politico reported that due to a pending investigation by a Texas sheriff, there is speculation, as a result, that the group sent to the Massachusetts island could potentially be on a path to attain U.S. citizenship.
“A Texas sheriff has certified that the nearly 50 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Ron DeSantis were victims of a crime. That certification is a key step in qualifying them for a special visa they would not have otherwise been eligible for,” tweeted Kyle Griffin, a writer, and producer at MSNBC.
“Texas Sheriff says that because Ron DeSantis tricked migrants into flying to Martha’s Vineyard, they should now be able to STAY in the US under a “U Visa”, which is for victims of a crime,” the Vice President of Communications, Antonio Arellano tweeted. “Evil always backfires,” he added.
According to The New York Times, DeSantis is also being sued by the Martha’s Vineyard migrants themselves, for allegedly misleading them. But the potential good news for those migrants is that a Texas sheriff has certified 50 of them as victims of a crime after DeSantis flew them to Martha’s Vineyard, a move that made the migrants eligible for a special visa that would allow them to stay in the country.
GBH News reports that Democratic Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar signed the certification forms, which makes the migrants eligible for U-visas, which are reserved for crime victims or witnesses to a crime. “Based upon the claims of migrants being transported from Bexar County under false pretenses, we are investigating this case as possible Unlawful Restraint,” Salazar told the outlet. “We have submitted documentation through the federal system to ensure the migrants’ availability as witnesses during the investigation,” he added.