Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida helped fly around four dozen migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, where they were granted visas due to the crimes against them. The migrants, mostly from Venezuela, were sent to the liberal island as part of a political stunt, costing Florida taxpayers about $615,000 in total. The migrants, with the help of civil rights attorneys, filed a class action lawsuit seeking compensation for the harms they suffered.
The migrants are now able to legally live and work in the U.S. and avoid deportation thanks to special visas they received. They were reportedly tricked into taking charter flights from San Antonio to Massachusetts with false promises of jobs and aid. DeSantis explained that the migrants were flown from Texas rather than Florida because it was easier to gather them near the U.S.-Mexico border. The migrants were granted U nonimmigrant status, which is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered abuse and assist law enforcement in criminal investigations.
The U visa was created with the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000, allowing law enforcement agencies to better investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. A complaint alleged that DeSantis and his team approached migrants experiencing food insecurity near a resource center in San Antonio and offered them items, including a $10 McDonald’s gift certificate, in order to gain their trust. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office completed a criminal investigation and recommended misdemeanor and felony counts of unlawful restraint against DeSantis for transporting the migrants.
Critics of DeSantis accused him of using the migrants as part of a political maneuver to score points, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott had done by busing migrants to liberal cities. DeSantis’s actions were seen as a waste of taxpayer money, with each migrant costing approximately $12,300 to relocate. The migrants, aided by their immigration attorney, Rachel Self, filed a lawsuit seeking financial compensation for the harms they suffered during the ordeal. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office also challenged DeSantis’s actions and recommended charges against him for unlawful restraint.
The migrants, who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard from Texas, were granted visas allowing them to stay and work in the U.S. legally while avoiding deportation. This special U visa is intended for victims of certain crimes who have suffered abuse and assist law enforcement in criminal investigations. DeSantis’s decision to transport the migrants and the subsequent challenges and allegations against him have once again spotlighted the complex and contentious issue of immigration policy in the United States. The lawsuit filed by the migrants, seeking compensation for the harms they endured, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
