LOL, as if there were any MAGAts in Martha's Vinyard to have said that."WE LOVE YOU, YOU’VE ENRICHED OUR LIVES, NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" ...citizens of Martha's VineyardFirst of all, the migrants DeSantis sent to Martha's Vineyard aren't illegals. They followed proper channels when they reported to the nearest immigration office upon entry to this country and requested legal immigration status, something they were granted on a temporary basis while their applications are being processed.So was this illegal or not? Is there a federal law that says illegals can not be transported across state lines? And if so, what would be the purpose of such a law? To cut down on human slave trading?The brochure - regardless of who made it - clearly states in English and Spanish that it is for refugees. And the programs listed are legit.From ZiprHead's inlined tweet: The smoking gun in Martha's Vineyard - by Judd Legum
Seems like fraud. However, "DeSantis has been adamant that the migrants were not misled."Popular Information has obtained documentary evidence that migrants from Venezuela were provided with false information to convince them to board flights chartered by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). The documents suggest that the flights were not just a callous political stunt but potentially a crime.
... But many of the migrants told reporters that they were misled about the nature of the flights. Several migrants told NPR they were told the flight was going to Boston, not Martha's Vineyard. According to the migrants, a woman who identified herself as Perla also said that, if they traveled to Boston, they could receive "expedited work papers."
Popular Information, however, has obtained a brochure that was provided to the migrants who ultimately agreed to the flights. It was provided to Popular Information by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), a Boston-based legal organization that represents 30 of the migrants. The brochure says that migrants who arrive in Massachusetts will be eligible for numerous benefits, including "8 months cash assistance," "assistance with housing," "food," "clothing," "transportation to job interviews," "job training," "job placement," "registering children for school," "assistance applying for Social Security cards," and many other benefits.
None of this, however, is true.
...
The brochure, which is crudely designed to resemble a government document, does not explain that these benefits described are only available to specially designated refugees.
According to some of the migrants, the benefits described in the brochure were also promised verbally by Perla to lure them onto the planes chartered by DeSantis. “[T]hey told us that they were going to help us with the rent, to get a job, that was the only option left to us,” one migrant, Eduardo Linares, told the Texas Tribune. (Linares ultimately declined to board the flight.)
The legitimacy of the brochure is not in question. Its use as a means of luring asylum seekers onto an aircraft with false promises is at issue. The victims were first told that they were going to Boston, but they were told during the flight that they were going to Martha's Vineyard. When the plane landed, the people who had lured them onto the plane disappeared. This is why:
Lawyers representing migrants dumped on Martha's Vineyard want Florida Gov. DeSantis criminally investigated over the 'stunt'
DeSantis himself, like Trump, is essentially above the law, but they can go after the people his administration hired to carry out the fraud.
This was obviously a political stunt. But why couldn't DeSantis just use the same kind of excuses the Democrats would use. Why doesn't he make the claim he is attempting to bring diversity to Martha's Vineyard? Of all the possible places, Martha's Vineyard is probably the best place for refugees as far as service and funds that could be made available. Most of the homes of Martha's Vineyard are only 2nd vacation residences of the ultra elite who would be in a position to more than afford to help refugees if they wanted to loan out their property. After how we saw they reacted.... I guess these people are really not so commpassionate after all. DeSantis was right about them.
If they had been illegals the the laws against human trafficking would definitely apply. Since they are migrants who were deliberately misled for political gain, the laws against kidnapping apply while the human trafficking laws might not. Either way, there is convincing evidence De Santis knowingly and deliberately committed a crime. I hope the rule of law is upheld and De Santis will be arrested and prosecuted.
The residents of Martha's Vineyard provided food, shelter, help with legal matters, etc. to the needy on extremely short notice. They should be lauded, especially by those who call themselves Christians, but probably won't be by anyone who would vote for De Santis.
If a plan fails... just say it didn't.