No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges
Saying undocumented immigrants were sent to “greener pastures,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday defended Florida’s participation in a pair of flights carrying about 50 migrants, including children, that landed Wednesday at Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
While the governor’s office claimed credit for the controversial relocation effort, details remained scant Thursday about Florida’s involvement and the people now receiving care from Massachusetts residents and officials.
“If you have folks that are inclined to think Florida is a good place, our message to them is that we are not a sanctuary state,” DeSantis told reporters on Thursday during a media event in Niceville in Okaloosa County. “It’s better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction, and yes, we will help facilitate that transport for you, to be able to go to greener pastures.”
DeSantis’ event, unrelated to the migrant transfers, was about 30 miles from the Crestview airport where charter planes from San Antonio, Tex., landed on Wednesday before stopping in North Carolina and South Carolina en route to their final destination in Massachusetts.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a handful of other Republican governors have been sending migrants to Democratic-led cities such as New York and Washington, D.C., for months, as they sharply criticize President Joe Biden’s immigration and border policies.
This week’s surprise migrant relocation to the tony Massachusetts resort community drew national attention and harsh criticism from Venezuelan-Americans in Florida during a hastily arranged news conference Thursday in Doral.
DeSantis’ critics said most of the migrants transported to Massachusetts were fleeing the dictatorship of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom DeSantis has repeatedly castigated. Maria Corina Vegas, Florida deputy state director for the American Business Immigration Coalition, called the immigrants’ transfer “morally repulsive,” noting that the flights took place the day before the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and accusing DeSantis of “trafficking” migrant children.
“As a Venezuelan-American myself, I was heartbroken. These are Venezuelan asylum seekers who are escaping the Maduro regime. This is a new low, even for this governor,” she said.
The transfer of the migrants also sparked an outcry from elected officials in the Martha’s Vineyard area.
Massachusetts state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, a Democrat whose district includes Martha’s Vineyard, said in a Twitter post that DeSantis hatched the plan to “gain cheap political points” on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program and “MAGA Twitter.” He also called DeSantis’ actions “depraved.”
According to FlightAware tracking, two Ultimate Air shuttles flew Wednesday morning from San Antonio to Crestview in Florida’s Panhandle before traveling north. One of the planes stopped in Charlotte, N.C., the other in Spartanburg, S.C., before reaching Martha’s Vineyard.
The Vineyard Gazette reported that island officials and volunteers quickly rallied to find temporary shelter for 48 migrants from Venezuela and Colombia. Numerous reports said the group included a dozen children.
One migrant told the Gazette he came from Venezuela to the U.S., traveling through Mexico, because of the situation in his home country. “We went through 10 different countries until we got to Texas,” he said. “There a refugee association put us in a plane and told us there would be work and housing here. I feel good, despite everything. We spent four days in Texas so it’s good to be here.”
According to an NPR report, migrants interviewed in Martha’s Vineyard said they had recently crossed the border in Texas and were staying at a shelter in San Antonio, where they were approached by a woman named “Perla” with the prospects of flying to Boston for work papers.
DeSantis, who is seeking re-election in November and is widely seen as a front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, for months has threatened to send undocumented immigrants to other states.
The governor blasted his critics on Thursday.
“All those people in D.C. and New York were beating their chests when (Donald) Trump was president, saying they were so proud to be sanctuary jurisdictions, saying how bad it was to have a secure border,” DeSantis said. “The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with every day is brought to their front door, they all of a sudden go berserk. And they’re so upset that this is happening. And it just shows their virtue signaling is a fraud.”
State lawmakers this year, at DeSantis’ request, tucked $12 million into the Department of Transportation’s budget for the “transport of unauthorized aliens from this state.”
The budget item allowed the state agency to contract with a private company or reach an agreement with a federal agency to relocate immigrants.
DeSantis has highlighted the budget request in campaign speeches, drawing cheers from supporters when pledging to reroute undocumented immigrants to Biden’s home state of Delaware.
DeSantis last month was prepared to start busing migrants to Delaware but held off, citing a slowdown in migrants sent from the nation’s Southern border to Florida through a federal Office of Refugee Resettlement program.
DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske confirmed that the migrants relocated to Martha’s Vineyard “were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.”
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” she said. Fenske did not answer questions Thursday seeking additional details about Florida’s participation. She did not say if any of the migrants had been in Florida before the flights or if more flights are planned.
Martha’s Vineyard is among the U.S. locales designated as “sanctuary” cities, where officials have pledged to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist called the migrants’ relocation “DeSantis’ latest disgusting political stunt — using children and families as political pawns.”
Asked in a conference call with reporters what he would do differently, Crist replied “the opposite” of what DeSantis did.
“I wouldn’t have shipped them on a plane, I wouldn’t have lied to them. I would have kept them in Florida and treated them humanely and given them comfort and make sure that they’re fed and nourished and treated like human beings,” Crist said.
Massachusetts state Sen. Julian Cyr, a Democrat who represents Martha’s Vineyard, was among critics of the migrants’ relocation who likened the action to “reverse freedom rides” that took place in the early 1960s, when segregationists tricked Black Southerners into taking bus rides to Hyannis — about 30 miles from where the migrants were dropped off Wednesday.
In an interview with the Vineyard Gazette, Cyr called the latest action “a cruel ruse that is manipulating families who are seeking a better life.”
–Dara Kam and Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
deSantis is a Roman Catholic, guess he hasn’t heard the admonition about loving your neighbor.
Oh he knows all about it … but, you see .. being a good human being showing care and compassion doesn’t get him the votes or the PR .. sooooo
Land of no turn signals says says
It’s O.K. Obama has plenty of room in his mansion.
Brillant!!!!! Since Joe Biden refuses to go to the Texas border…Fl. will send the border to them! All the rich folks that talk a good talk, lets see some action! Stop lying to the people ….the border is not closed…When the whitehouse press secritary stands before the American people & blames Trump for not completing the wall…When it was the democrates that blocked it every step of the way. And on Bidens 1st day in office he stopped the wall being built. And remain in Mexico, { which was working } until Biden knew better. He listen to the…And I quote. My son Hunter is the smartest man I know!!!!! Drugs, Whores, lives in a Malibu beach house, but cant pay child support, for a baby he had with some GO-GO girl. Yep Bidens crackhead son has one hell of a brain…or whats left of it!
It’s amazing that you can justify using these truly innocent people for a political stunt. Amazingly sad.
Your correct, but it is not just 1 political party or organization that uses people for their behalf.
If the people of the US curbed their insatiable demand for drugs, which causes the gang violence throughout Central America that people are fleeing from, that would make more sense than blaming the victims of US drug demand.
ps Perhaps Mr Rathsam could enlighten us as to the reason why there is such an insatiable demand for drugs in the US. Before you answer check out Purdue Pharma and this: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/walgreens-walmart-cvs-ordered-pay-650-million-opioid-sales-rcna43698
The current governor of Florida wants to be President of the United States. He will do anything to get his name in the headlines. He has no interest in any human being unless they are MAGA supporters. And even then he only wants their vote. He really couldn’t care less about them either. It’s all about him and what he wants. He spends our tax money on a stunt to fly people from TEXAS through Florida only long enough to say he is sending migrants out of the state. Anywhere else, this would be fraud and a misuse of tax dollars. These people never were a “burden” on Florida. I doubt they were allowed off the plane at the airports to even use a Florida bathroom…. Couple this with his “election police” who so far have arrested 20 people for “fraudulent voting” in the 2020 election. However several of those 20 voted because they were issued voting credentials by Florida and had every right to believe they could vote legally. What a wonderful use of Florida taxpayer money. But it gave Desantis another opportunity to stand in front of the cameras and pretend he’s protecting voter rights. Lately he flies around stopping and handing out checks for projects in Florida that are funded by the Biden plan to improve infrastructure that he ridiculed when it was passed. But he has no problem handing out the checks like he wrote them himself. What a hypocrite (politician). And he’s handing out checks to first responders that also are funded by the federal government like he’s the guy who got the money for them. And people eat this up like he’s doing something good. He suspended a prosecutor because he said he wouldn’t enforce the abortion ban laws. The prosecutor didn’t actually fail to enforce the law as it wasn’t even in effect at that time. So freedom of speech isn’t a recognized right under Desantis. That is unless you are a sheriff and say you won’t enforce gun laws. That’s okay. The guy spends more time out of the state campaigning for president than he does here pretending to be the governor. I hope Floridians are fed up with this joke of a governor and vote for Crist this November.
Yes, what DeSantis is doing is political theater. Perfect, apt, and hopefully impactful political theater. You declare yourself a sanctuary location? OK, great, we will take you at your word and deliver the people who you are offering sanctuary to. You are part of the messaging that leads people to head to America, then you deal with the problem directly.
How does moving people who were admitted into the country legally in Texas to a resort community in Massachusetts serve the people of Florida? It doesn’t. The Governor is wasting our Florida state budget monies on a senseless political stunt. Let him pay for these stunts with his own funds; not using millions that could be helping the tax paying citizens of Florida.
What does Maduro and DeSantis have in common? They both want to punish people fleeing communism, this is projected to cost us tax payers $12 million.
I ‘loved” it when Fat Ron said that he is protecting the people of Florida by sending these migrants away!! Protecting us from what? Children and women trying to attain a better life? This loser is so out of control!! And as usual, he shifts his crap around to, of course, blame the states that are accepting these folks for treating them like human beings! And the role models Fat Ron admires: Trump, Abbott and all the other deniers of true facts. Anything to appease the “base”. I have said this many times: this man acts erroneously, does not have foresight into any consequences for his actions and when the sh.. hits the fan, it’s always someone else’s fault. Wouldn’t it be nice if he actually resolved a problem through COMMUNICATION instead of his constant stupidity of his way or no way. Let’s ask him what he’s doing about the issue of insurance companies leaving the state? How is he addressing the high crime in Florida cities? Danger of kids going to School? Oh yeah, let’s hire unqualified people to teach our kids, and pay them more than the hard working teachers we have now; that’s his answer! Do we get 24/7 protection like he and his family get? College debt forgiveness: do you think his kids have to worry about that? If you do, I have a bridge to sell you. Wake up folks; he thinks only for himself; you are nothing to him but a check mark next to his name on a piece of paper around election time.
…Florida, Texas and Arizona have been dealing with this for decades, with no help from anybody. Ask the voters of Florida if they care Desantis spent $12 million of their money on this. You will get your answer in Novermber when they re-elct him Governor….
I’m a Florida voter Alphonse and I think this “governor” wastes Floridians tax dollars for his posing moments running for President rather than running for Governor. He could care less about Floridians in his quest towards Autocracy. Just ask 40,000 + Floridians that died from Covid, oh you can’t they’re dead.
But those 40,000 will get the last word when they show up and vote democrat from beyond the grave in 22 & 24.
Making plans already to contest the election, are we? Or is it just the elections that don’t go your way?
Don’t even there is and has been political tampering going on for years and no party is innocent.
Little Ronnie is such a bully and a coward. Hides in his little governors mansion except to come out and do some political stunt. Not taking questions or answering Florida’s concerns. Only his own. His politics reminds me of those in N. Korea, China and Russia. Do as I say and don’t even question me….He should go to one of those countries because they like people like him. What real human uses people, even women and children, as part of their political games. Ronnie Does. Can’t wait to see him start running for the presidency for real. Little ronnie would be crushed like the cockroach he is. Ronnie is such a good Christian…….NOT.
Something that you leftists know all about. The left is only upset because conservatives are using their own tactics against them.
Alphonse is another MAGA-like stooge who knows to go straight to ‘you’re a leftist’ name calling in a vain attempt to deflect shame from those he supports. Al, go to church this weekend and say a prayer for the innocent children used in this likely illegal political stunt.
He’s just following FJB’s lead….transporting illegal aliens all over the US. So, Biden does this in the night its o.k. That tells everyone what he does, you look the other way, two faced it’s called. Grow a pair, don’t be a sheep and follow BUNGLING JOE down that path.Keep piling them into every single Leftist sanctuary city and every upscale neighborhood where their “leaders” live. Gotta love it when they start getting a small taste of their own medicine. And the Snowflakes immediately start crying and calling names like the typical Leftist. BOO HOO!!!!!!
No one is “transporting illegal aliens all over the US. It is illegal to transport illegal aliens, except if they are in the custody of law enforcement. This is all political theater. States are not sovereign countries and governors do not have the authority to enforce immigration laws. Presidents, whether Obama, Trump, or Biden do NOT control the budget to enforce the immigration laws.
Here is the deal, if DeSantis knowingly was transporting or causing the transport of illegal aliens across state lines he would be in violation of federal immigration law:
Section (a)(1)(A)(ii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law;
“in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)(II), 4/ be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;”
And yet the president of the United States has to be led away by the Easter Bunny so he doesn’t answer a question from the press.
Martha’s Vineyard is an ideal location to start “the dream” for any immigrants, legal or illegal. Delaware is another beautiful state with plenty of opportunity.
Odd. The governor keeps telling us everyone is flocking to Florida. I guess certain skin colos are not as welcome as others.
Pierre, has it ever occured to you that maybe our law-abiding Governor would like people that are in our country legally to come to Florida? Maybe you guessed wrong on skin color being an issue. He has several hispanic and people of color in his cabinet starting with Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez.
Some of his best friends are Hispanics, no doubt.
Wait, he had to illegally import these 48 people before he could deport them to Martha’s Vineyard! This is my tax dollars at work?
Hey Ronnie, you are wasting my tax dollars to transport people from Texas to Martha’s Vinyard. I WANT A REFUND! This is not a solution it is just a political stunt and my tax dollars paid for your campaigning stunt. Ronnie go to heaven and get a transfer!
Really, Biden has been flying people of “certain skin colos” all over the country, dropping them off in the middle of the night. “Biden Has Released Nearly 1.05 million SW Border Migrants into the U.S. More people than Delaware, and 2,115 per day — not counting “got-aways” and unaccompanied kids” https://cis.org/Arthur/Disclosures-Biden-Has-Released-Nearly-105-million-SW-Border-Migrants-US
“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Monday that migrants weren’t ‘walking’ into the United States”, we all know this is a blatant lie. Trying to convince the people of America the border is under control, and then getting their panties in a wad when migrants are “relocated” to their own neighborhood, while claiming to be a “sanctuary city or state”, is hypocritical on so many levels. The southern border needs to be closed, until control can be reclaimed, and managed properly.
Jim, Palm Coast a perfect place for them too.
Not 12 but 18 millions of our hard earned tax funds to pull his political stunt…and side with Texas Abbott. I could not have said it any better, Enough! Hope Christ gets the votes!
Let me get this straight. You are more concern about illegal migrants versus American citizens living in the streets? Let’s fix our country’s homeless problem. How many veterans are on the streets that need shelter and food? How many American children are in need of meals? Biden is to blame along with his administration. We should not allow an open border policy. Do not point fingers at our policies in FLORIDA. Start pointing fingers at both sides of the aisle in DC.
Ron, your basic assertion is wrong, the migrants in question were LEGAL immigrants holding papers issued at the Border. They had every right to be here to relocate and start their citizenship process. They were targeted because of their heritage, not because of their legal right to be here in the U.S. I only hope these folks who were treated better in MA remember that as they transition into US patriots/citizens despite TX and FL Governors who disrespect their own heritage. Neither of these despot Governors descend from US native peoples. Maybe we can deport them and send them back to the foreign countries they descend from.
If the Governor is truly concerned about pernicious Latins who are a threat to Florida, he should have exiled Marco Rubio to Martha’s Vineyard!
we’ll see how they handle it, and expose those hypocrites, just like Lightfoot……
One thing I see here from all the Leftist responses is that they blame Desantis, not Biden for whats going on. If Biden had done his job(which he hasn’t since taken office)this would not have happened. Santuary states,cities and other entities are getting what the border areas have been seeing daily for decades. Time to lay the blame where it belongs, with the Commander In Chief, Joe Biden. Take ownwership of the problem. Where is the Border CZAR, what her name? Prove me wrong.
Alphonse. The people that the Governor sent to Martha’s Vineyard entered the U.S. legally under a program created by former President Trump. Let me repeat that to you; they entered the country legally based on legislation passed by the Congress and signed by former President Trump. What’s Biden supposed to do? What’s a border czar supposed to do? Not allow people who are allowed by law to enter the country to enter the country?
You’re deflecting away from the fact that the Governor of Florida used Florida state funds to transport men, women and children who legally entered the U.S. in Texas to Massachusetts.
And the Governor had the nerve to send someone with a camera to the airport in Martha’s Vineyard to make video’s of those people arriving. The best part is that the Vineyard locals made better videos of their fellow citizens providing aid and care to those people the Governor paid our monies to transport.
I thought Desantis was PRO-LIFE…ALL human life is valuable!
DeSantis and Abbott are proving to the people they are unfit to be public servants for their unprofessional acts against humane beings. They both are using immigrants as human pawns. Lindsey Graham lost votes over his abortion idea’s and DeSantis and Abbott lost votes they don’t know how to resolve issues professional proving to the public they have no business ever being public servants. They are both following in Trumps foot steps and he lost an election because of his incompetent behavior.
This started with Biden flying immigrants all over the country, so point the finger at him. Be honest, you don’t want them parked in your backyard either.
Ron The Con strikes again. Wasting our tax dollars on a shameful political stunt.
I for one love how embarrassing and uncomfortable these stunts are continuing to make our useless President and his even more useless (If thats even possible) “Border Czar” look to their constituents. He cannot even address reporters’ repeated questions, without a scripted dialog on his teleprompter written by his handlers. All we get is nonsense gibberish word salads from that clown looking girl he hired as a press secretary, who hasn’t a clue what in the Hell is going on around the country.
I, for one, am grateful to Biden for all the hard work he’s done to reverse the crap Trump did to this country. Biden doesn’t sit on his over-fed butt tweeting stupid comments and calling into Fox Noise. He’s out there getting things done for this country!
If anyone should feel embarrassed and ashamed it’s Benito DeSantis and the fools who support him. BTW, DeSantis is 100% Italian. His grandparents are straight off the boat. Perhaps we should send him back to Italy?
I would bet DeSantis stands in front of a mirror and kisses himself since he enjoys being in front of the cameras. It makes the little man that he is feel important. He and his wife claim to be Christians but as we see from how he treats adults in children from other countries there isn’t a Christian bone in either of their bodies. He misused taxpayers monies and bet if they investigated him further there is dirty money following him. What a true phony he is.
Lives in the real world says
Serious question, how many individuals here will open their homes and give shelter for a period of time for one or more of the “Undocumented Citizens” until they can get their life started by attaining citizenship, find employment? I’ll wait.
A great many Floridians would, even in Flagler which seems to be turning into a ‘sanctuary county’ for DeSantis loving extremists. We can thank the Biden administration for full employment and high demand for workers, so finding jobs shouldn’t be difficult. And they simply need employment authorization to work here, not residency or citizenship which can follow, if they qualify, and if they choose to remain in the US.
Well…maybe for a Ukrainian family. After all they’re almost white as us. But as for those latins…you know The Villages have all the landscapers they need.
All this demagoguery about Trump, Biden, DeSantis and Abbot is completely missing the point. These Governors who are playing with the immigrants to make political points should get their States Congressional delegations together collectively and go to Congress and work on Immigration Reform. That’s what America needs.
Why doesn’t he send all of the illegal aliens working at Mar a Lago back along with t-rumps illegal wife?
DeSantis and/or his spokesperson are LYING!!!!
“DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske confirmed that the migrants relocated to Martha’s Vineyard “were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.””
Here is the deal, if DeSantis knowingly was transporting or causing the transport of illegal aliens across state lines he would be in violation of federal immigration law:
Section (a)(1)(A)(ii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law;
“in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)(II), 4/ be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;”
Um, yeah that’s probably true but Biden’s been doing this for a year and a half and that’s not a problem? Typical libtard reasoning on display.
DuhSantis claims they are here legally because of a Trump policy. So, that means one of you is wrong. Governor DeSantis puts them on an air-conditioned airplane and sends them to one of richest areas in the county and that’s bad? Thousands of immigrants with children are now living in the streets of El Paso with no running water or toilets. Where is your compassion man? But no, you are only worried about charging DeSantis with a crime. Maybe you are really mad with DeSantis because he is showing the world the problem this administration created. Now i see these migrants have already been shipped off the island to a military base. Love the diversity and equity of the good people of Marthas Vinyard. Just google “hotels on Marthas Vineyard”. There is MORE than enough rooms for 40 people.
DeSantis wasting money? How about the cost to house, feed, and give medical assistance to the influx of migrants. Its funny, because everyone here knows, that if buses started offloading these migrants at our pretty little Palm Coast Wal-Mart, it would hit the fan. But it hasn’t happened so DeSantis is a monster. But if it did, he’s the first person you’d run to begging for help.
The fact that he sent planes to another state to pick them up is galling.
All this just goes to prove what a bunch of idiots these temper tantrum posturing Republican Governors are. If DeSantis were really smart he would use some of the already allocated Florida Jobs Growth Grant monies and combine that with CareerSource training programs to upskill these new immigrants (new workforce) and start filling in some of the workforce shortages. Make residency contingent upon completing the program and maintaining employment. Come on, Ron! Could have been a hero, but instead, you’re a zero.
So basically, Biden can send plane loads at night to Jacksonville or God knows . Gives them a cell phone ,new shoes, clothing and free health care. Costing all of us a lot more than a plane load to where the rich and famous live. Sadly there are people in Palm coast that probably make $40,000 or less. Do they get Free health care or free phones. I don’t think so. This is not about Race as some of you would like to believe, Pierre included. It’s about bringing attention to what’s happening at BIDEN’S SECURE BORDER.
The absolute joy in the rightwing AH world over the lies, subterfuge, and cruelty shown to those immigrants by them is beyond disgusting.
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