The National Guard was called to Martha’s Vineyard over just 50 illegal immigrants that flown to the island by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The local residents say the arrival triggered a “humanitarian crisis” that prompted the call for the National Guard, before the migrants were moved to Cape Cod.
After two days of confusion, the migrants, staying in a church, looked happy to hear that they would be taken to the Cape Cod Military base. A temporary shelter set up by Martha’s Vineyard community for migrants in what was described as “a moment of urgent need” was praised by Governor Charlie Baker, who is also a Republican.
In a news release, Baker said, “We are grateful to the providers, volunteers and local officials that stepped up on Martha’s Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals.”
Although Baker and DeSantis are both Republicans, this week the Florida governor sent two migrant planes to Martha’s Vineyard. The decision to transport migrants from Texas to Washington, DC, New York, Chicago and now Martha’s Vineyard is seen by many as Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s attempt to pressure Democrats to tighten border policies, according to NY Post.
According to Abbott and DeSantis, the reason they are shipping migrants north is to help others understand the pressure being put on the border states. During a December press conference outlining his immigration plans, DeSantis taunted Martha’s Vineyard as a potential destination, saying: “It’s somewhat tongue-in-cheek but it is true, if you sent (them) to Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard or some of these places, the border would be secure the next day.”
This week, the arrangements were made by DeSantis to send the migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. The move was a part of a series of actions taken by Republican governors to transport migrants from Texas to liberal enclaves in protest of inadequate federal security efforts on the southern border.
Efforts by Abbott to bus migrants to Washington, New York and Chicago have set off panic and uproar among Democratic mayors. In DC, Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency, while in Chicago, Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot put migrants back on a bus to a Republican suburb.
At an event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, DC, Biden blasted Abbott and DeSantis, saying that his administration had “a process in place to manage migrants.”
“Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props. What they’re doing is simply wrong, it’s un-American, it’s reckless,” Biden declared. “And we have a process in place to manage migrants at the border. We’re working to make sure it’s safe and orderly and humane.”
Baker’s office said in a statement that the National Guard members would complete the work already being done by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “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,” the governor stated.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Republicans are doing this because Democrats are not doing enough work to secure the border. Republicans want Democrats to know what Texas is dealing with on a daily basis since the Democrats don’t seem to take it seriously.
