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Illegal immigrants who flew unannounced to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday are now being transferred to a military base in Cape Cod.
The 50 migrants were put on buses by Governor Charlie Baker to cover the 32 miles to Joint Base in Cape Cod (JBCC), just 48 hours after landing in the billionaire’s enclave.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis brought in immigrants from Venezuela on Wednesday, sparking a widespread outcry from the small island’s liberal leaders in Massachusetts.
It was declared a humanitarian emergency, with island leaders reacting in the same way as a hurricane.
Lisa Belcastro, a homelessness director in the area, said on Thursday that the island cannot support the migrants — where the average house price is nearly $1 million — because it faces a shortage of affordable housing.
The average home in Martha’s Vineyard is worth nearly $800,000 according to the census, and the median household income is $77,370 — well above the national average of $67,521.
She told reporters they’ll have to “go elsewhere at some point” as the island is facing a “housing crisis.”
The JBCC shared-use base, home to five military commandos training for missions at home and abroad, conducting airborne search and rescue, and intelligence command and control.
The 50 migrants who arrived at Martha’s Vineyard are now being shipped on a 32-mile journey to a military base in Cape Cod
Government Charlie Baker made the decision to move the illegal immigrants just 48 hours after they landed in the billionaire’s enclave
Baker said in a statement: “JBCC is a facility already designated by MEMA as an emergency shelter in Barnstable County, and the existing infrastructure provides safe temporary accommodation suitable for the needs of families and individuals.
“In addition, the facility can provide dedicated space for access to legal services and other essential services such as basic health care.”
He confirmed that the migrants in the base will live in ‘dormitories’ and that families will not be separated.
Baker added that it had previously been used as a shelter for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and that it was home to a field hospital when the COVID pandemic began.
He also activates 125 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to assist in the relief effort.
According to Baker, Martha’s Vineyard, with a population of 15,000, is “not equipped to provide sustainable housing” to the migrants.
They were all instructed to board the bus for an hour and a half journey from the island to Cape Cod.
Senator Susan Moran said, “Using vulnerable populations as pawns in a political game is atrocious; we can agree on this regardless of the political party.
“I have been meeting with local and government agencies over the past 24 hours to ensure we are doing everything we can to support both the immigrants and local officials who are on the front lines to meet their needs.
“It was announced this morning that the men, women and children who recently arrived from Venezuela will be temporarily transferred to Joint Base Cape Cod, where we can better address these challenges.
“In Massachusetts, we treat all people with dignity and respect.”
The move comes after DeSantis accused critics of his attempt to fly migrants to Martha’s Vineyard of “virtue signaling,” saying their concern for the well-being of the migrants was a “fraud.”
He said, “The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns go through every day is brought to their doorsteps, they go crazy and are so upset that this is happening.”
DeSantis yesterday sent two planes carrying 50 migrants to the affluent island and now threatens to send more to Delaware – following Texas Gov Greg Abbott’s ‘blueprint’
Migrants in Eagle Pass, 450 miles east along the border, also allegedly killed a guard dog and started eating animals in desperation
Senator Julian Cyr, a Massachusetts Democrat who represents Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, admitted they had implemented hurricane contingency plans in response to the new arrivals.
Nearly 1,000 migrants have been released to sleep on the streets of the Texas border town of El Paso, amid a wave of illegal border crossings that overwhelms border police facilities.
It comes after the wealthy island’s residents faltered, with locals and officials quickly expressing their outrage.
But now they have been criticized for ‘not being able to handle’ the 50 migrants in their affluent hometown for less than two days.
St. Andrew’s is also just over five miles from the Obama family’s $11.75 million vacation complex, which sits on the coastal fringe of Edgartown.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joked about how the city’s wealthy liberals might respond to the migrants, saying, “These are all refuges until they are in their refuge. I doubt they’ll embrace them.’
Florida Governor DeSantis is now ramping up the escalating immigration war in Democrat-controlled areas by threatening to fly illegal migrants to President Biden’s home state of Delaware.
Republicans have stepped up their attacks on the Biden administration as they try to make immigration the theme of November’s midterm elections.
Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez has also stated that the DeSantis government plans to send illegal migrants from Florida to Delaware.
It comes after Governor Greg Abbott yesterday sent 101 illegal migrants outside VP Kalama Harris’ home in Washington DC — just days after declaring the border “secure.”
Harris declared the border “secure” in an interview on Sunday and is now in the midst of an attack by Governor Greg Abbott against Democrats’ immigration rules.
She declined to answer questions about the sensational escalation yesterday as Abbott continues his campaign against so-called “sanctuary cities.”
An unidentified man filmed outside the Naval Observatory on Thursday told Fox News: “The border is open, not closed. Everyone believes the border is open.
“It’s open because we’re coming in. We come in for free, no problem. We came illegally, not legally.’
Keith Chatinover, a Democratic county commissioner for the area, previously commented that he would like to make the area a “refuge” for immigrants.
His comments were in response to Sen. Ted Cruz having introduced a bill to make Democrat-run areas a post of entry for processing migrants.
But he now seems unhappy that his wish has been granted and has retweeted attacks on the Florida governor for being a fascist and human trafficker for sending migrants to the billionaires’ enclave.
He told the MVTimes in October 2021: “I’d like to see Martha’s Vineyard become a haven for new immigrants to this country, but Senator Cruz has no idea what he’s talking about in regards to a ‘border crisis.’
But now he’s being called out for the comments after branding DeSantis a “fascist” for escalating the immigration war with Democrat-controlled areas.
Cruz tweeted that he was “confused” about Chatinover reprimanding DeSantis for flying the illegal immigrants into the area.
Chatinover tweeted that he “supports the resettlement of refugees” but has a problem when they are not notified “in advance” to “help adequately” the migrants.
He added that the chaos of the situation for Republicans to “prove a point” was a “blatant disregard” for human rights.
Chatinover retweeted another who called DeSantis “fascist scum” and said he should be “prosecuted for human trafficking.”