Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Ron DeSantis are now in line for ‘victims of crime’ visas after claiming Florida officials dumped them into boarding planes

Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are now continuing their path to citizenship thanks to a visa reserved for those who help law enforcement investigate crimes.

DeSantis, who was considering a presidential run at the time, arranged for 49 migrants to be flown to the wealthy island off the coast of Massachusetts in 2022.

The migrants were sent to Martha’s Vineyard from San Antonio, Texas, and said they were promised work and housing options. That prompted the Bexar County sheriff to open a criminal investigation.

Immigration attorney Rachel M. Self-told The Boston Sphere Migrants who worked with the sheriff were able to apply for U nonimmigrant status, and three of them have since received “bona fide determinations” this week.

“These decisions are one step closer to justice. [They] further underscore that anyone who knows all the facts simply cannot ignore the criminality of the actors,” Self said.

The migrants were promised work and housing options, prompting the Bexar County sheriff to open a criminal investigation

U nonimmigrant status, known as U visa, is reserved for victims of certain crimes who have been mentally or physically abused and is helpful to law enforcement or government officials in investigating or prosecuting criminal activity, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Migrants granted a U visa are eligible to work in the United States and can then apply for a green card after holding a U visa for three years.

There is a limit of 10,000 on the number of U visas issued per year and there are thousands of applicants on a waiting list.

“This is a harm reduction provision,” Hemanth C. Gundavaram, co-founder and director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at Northeastern University School of Law, told The Globe.

“If you didn’t have these protections, someone would have to stay here, worry about deportation and not be able to make a living.”

The Martha’s Vineyard migrants became eligible to apply for a U visa after Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, said they were victims of a crime, reported The Miami Herald.

In June, Salazar recommended that the Bexar County district attorney file criminal charges for deception tactics, but no charges have been filed.

The U non-immigrant status, known as U visa, is reserved for crime victims who assist in police investigations

Three of the migrants received “bona fide determinations” this week after Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, declared they were victims of a crime

“The inaction of the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in this case is concerning and cannot be understated,” Self told The Herald.

“Anyone who knows all the facts, anyone who has seen all the evidence, simply cannot ignore the crimes committed in this case.”

On April 1, DeSantis was dismissed from a class-action lawsuit filed by the migrants, which alleged the governor “designed and executed a premeditated, fraudulent and illegal scheme aimed at exploitation.” [the migrants] for the sole purpose of furthering their own personal, financial and political interests.”

The US District Court of Massachusetts said in its ruling that it has no jurisdiction over DeSantis in this case.

While DeSantis was dropped, the migrants could still find Florida-based Vertol Systems Co. suing the charter flight company that transported them to the island off the coast of Massachusetts.

The court found that the facts of the case “taken together support an inference that Vertol and the other defendants specifically targeted plaintiffs because they were Latinx immigrants.”

The DeSantis administration noted the judges’ order to dismiss the state defendants.

On April 1, DeSantis was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by the migrants

The migrants can still sue Florida-based Vertol Systems Co., the charter company that transported them to the island

“As we have always stated, the flights were lawfully conducted and authorized by the Florida Legislature,” Julia Friedland, DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, said in a statement.

“We look forward to the next flight of illegal immigrants into Florida, and we are pleased to draw national attention to the crisis at the southern border.”

The court also said that “unlike ICE agents who legitimately enforce the nation’s immigration laws… the court sees no legitimate purpose in rounding up highly vulnerable individuals under false pretenses and publicly injecting them into a divisive national debate.’

Florida’s governor threatened to send Haitian migrants to leafy Democratic enclaves in the north such as Martha’s Vineyard as turf wars engulfed the embattled Caribbean country in March.

“Haitians are landing in the Florida Keys, their next stop could very well be Martha’s Vineyard,” DeSantis told podcaster Dana Loesch.