DeSantis sends TWO planes carrying more than 50 Venezuelan migrants to upscale Martha’s Vineyard
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking credit for two planeloads of migrants arriving in Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday.
Pictures published by the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette and the Martha’s Vineyard Times showed the migrants in the affluent community where prominent liberals such as the Obamas, Oprah Winfrey and Larry David all have homes.
In a statement, DeSantis’ office said: ‘Yes, Florida can confirm the two planes with illegal immigrants that arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.’
The remarks continued: ‘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.’
The press release went on: ‘As you may know, in this past legislative session the Florida Legislature appropriated $12 million to implement a program to facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants from this state consistent with federal law.’
The name of the charter that brought the migrants to the millionaires playground was Ultra Air Charters, reports the Martha’s Vineyard Times.
At least one member of the migrants told the newspaper that he didn’t know where he was.
One local official told the MV Times: ‘I believe they know they came from Texas to here. I’m not sure all of them know they’re here in Massachusetts on an Island.’
Town administrator Jennifer Rand was quoted by the newspaper as saying that she heard ‘Texas, Florida and Alabama have begun flying planes with immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard and dropping them off and leaving.’
On Wednesday evening, Fox News aired footage apparently showing the migrants arriving in the town. The footage was played during a segment on Jesse Watters Primetime where former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was a guest.
Pompeo joked about how the town’s wealthy liberals might react to the migrants saying: ‘These are all sanctuary cities until they’re in their sanctuary. I doubt they will embrace them.’
Fox news aired video showing the planes arriving on Martha’s Vineyard on September 14
The name of the charter that brought the migrants to the millionaires playground was Ultra Air Charters, reports the Martha’s Vineyard Times
Both of the planes were carrying around 50 Venezuelan migrants
One local official told the MV Times: ‘I believe they know they came from Texas to here. I’m not sure all of them know they’re here in Massachusetts on an Island
Town administrator Jennifer Rand was quoted by the newspaper as saying that she heard ‘Texas, Florida and Alabama have begun flying planes with immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard and dropping them off and leaving’
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joked on Fox News about how the town’s wealthy liberals might react to the migrants saying: ‘These are all sanctuary cities until they’re in their sanctuary. I doubt they will embrace them’
One immigrant told the Vineyard Gazette: ‘We’re immigrants. We came here because of the situation in our country, for the economy, for work, for lots of things. I came here walking’
Eliase, an immigrant from Venezuela, told the Vineyard Gazette: ‘We’re immigrants. We came here because of the situation in our country, for the economy, for work, for lots of things. I came here walking. We went through 10 different countries until we got to Texas.’
He added: ‘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.’
At the time of writing only one plane is reported to have arrived.
Online flight records show that two planes left San Antonio, Texas, on the morning of September 14, stopped in Florida, before landing in Martha’s Vineyard.
State Senator Julian Cyr tweeted on Wednesday’s night: ‘Developing situation on #MarthasVineyard where migrants arrived via charter flight from TX this afternoon. Islanders working hard to provide food + shelter.’
Cyr later told the Vineyard Gazette: ‘Just like the reverse freedom rides in the 1960s, this endeavor is a cruel ruse that is manipulating families who are seeking a better life.’
The Democratic Senator also said: ‘No one should be capitalizing on the difficult circumstances that these families are in and contorting that for the purposes of a “gotcha” moment.’
At the time of writing, Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker has not commented publicly on the move.
According to Cyr, the governor has activated state emergency management resources and Congressman Bill Keating is liaising with the Department of Homeland Security. The legal status of the migrants is not clear.
State Senator Julian Cyr tweeted on Wednesday’s night: ‘Developing situation on #MarthasVineyard where migrants arrived via charter flight from TX this afternoon. Islanders working hard to provide food + shelter’
Cyr later told the Vineyard Gazette: ‘Just like the reverse freedom rides in the 1960s, this endeavor is a cruel ruse that is manipulating families who are seeking a better life’
The Democratic Senator also said: ‘No one should be capitalizing on the difficult circumstances that these families are in and contorting that for the purposes of a “gotcha” moment’
At the time of writing, Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker has not commented publicly on the move
A woman, who is part of a group of immigrants that had just arrived, holds a child as they are fed outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Martha’s Vineyard
Immigrants gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Online flight records show that two planes left San Antonio, Texas, on the morning of September 14, stopped in Florida, before landing in Martha’s Vineyard
Cyr’s statements were echoed by State Rep. Dylan Fernandes who told the Gazette: ‘Some of them were told lies…they were told they would receive housing and jobs immediately upon arrival.’
The group is made up of mainly adult men and women who are ages 25 to 35. There are some children in the party who was between 10 and 12.
In December 2021, when DeSantis asked for millions of dollars in his state’s budget to be made available for the removal of illegal immigrants, he said: ‘If you sent them to Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day.’
The budget was ratified with $12 million being released for the purpose of transporting migrants out of the state.
That video was confirmed as authentic by Geoff Freeman, the airport director of Martha’s Vineyard Airport, according to the MV Times.
State Rep. Dylan Fernandes posted a photo showing him with a group of the migrants
Rep. Fernandes said of the migrants: ‘Some of them were told lies…they were told they would receive housing and jobs immediately upon arrival’
U.S. President Barack Obama (C) and first lady Michelle Obama shake hands with people before going to lunch at Nancy’s Restaurant while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard in 2010
The MV Times went on to report that sources say that the plane originated in Texas and that whoever was behind the flight, gave some of the migrants cell phones equipped with a translator app.
Dukes County Sheriff Robert Ogden met the group outside of the town’s community services center. He told the migrants: ‘We’re going to take care of you. Get all your personal belongings together and then we’ll move.’
The sheriff continued: ‘Does everyone have their personal belongings? We’re going to start moving you that way… The most important thing is we get you food and shelter and water.’
The group was sheltered at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. They were fed dinner from a local pizza shop and coffee from a coffee shop known as Mocha Motts.
WGBH public broadcasting in the Boston-area reported on September 14 that some migrants who had been sent north had showed up in Tufts Medical Center’s emergency room.
Dr. Brien Barnewolt, Chief of Emergency Medicine, told the broadcaster that none of those who were present had medical issues but simply did not know where to go.
Migrants from Venezuela rest near a bus station after being released from U.S. Border Patrol custody in El Paso on Tuesday
Without access to basic facilities, migrants have been forced to use open-air toilets, leading to health and sanitation concerns
Following a large new surge of migrants, primarily from Venezuela, Border Patrol facilities and shelters in El Paso have been overwhelmed, leading to street encampments
Migrants from Venezuela set up tents near a bus station after being released from U.S. Border Patrol custody in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday
At the same time as these new arrivals, humanitarian crisis is deepening in the Texas border town of El Paso, where nearly 1,000 migrants have been released to sleep on the streets amid a surge of illegal crossings that is overwhelming Border Patrol facilities.
Following a large influx of migrants, primarily from Venezuela, Border Patrol facilities and shelters in the west Texas town have been overwhelmed in recent days, leading to a flood of so-called ‘street releases’.
Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a GOP US Representative, told the New York Post: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this. It’s a scene that you would see in a third-world country, not in the streets of El Paso.’
It has led to scenes of misery, with hundreds of migrants sleeping on the streets without access to toilets or showers, and residents say that the ‘smell of human waste is overwhelming in the area,’ according to KVIA-TV.
‘There’s nothing safe about having people roaming the streets, it’s almost apocalyptic,’ Gonzales, who represents part of El Paso, told the ABC affiliate.
‘I’d argue that we’re very compassionate people, people who want to give the shirt off their back, but when there’s no end in sight, it’s just not fair,’ said Gonzales.
The poll shows that more than half of Americans think there is an ‘invasion’ while another one-third expressed worry over being ‘replaced’ by illegal immigrants
The situation in El Paso comes days after the Biden administration officially extended special protections for Venezuelans, known as Temporary Protected Status, that shield some of them from deportation.
News of the grim situation in El Paso comes a day after migrants in Eagle Pass, 450 miles east along the border, were reported to have killed a guard dog and begun eating animals in desperation.
Just shy of 200,000 illegal immigrants were intercepted crossing the southern border in July, according to the most recent CBP figures available.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has begun bussing thousands of migrants to so-called sanctuary cities including New York, Washington DC and Chicago, where leaders there have moaned about struggling to cope with them.
But El Paso – the sixth largest city in Texas – is one of a number of border areas facing an exponentially worse crisis. It has a population which is 81 percent Hispanic and relies heavily on the petroleum industry for local jobs – but is also home to a large medical center and university. The average house there costs $203,000.