Democratic officials and immigration activists have condemned Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis for organizing flights of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard as a dangerous political stunt, arguing that the migrants were forced onto the planes with false promises of financial and job assistance. Immigrant advocates have asked the U.S. attorney in Boston and the Massachusetts attorney general to open a criminal investigation, arguing that the immigrants were “induced to board planes and cross state lines under false pretenses.” U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to respond to a request for a possible investigation. Meanwhile, a mother seeking asylum in the US killed herself while staying at a New York shelter on Sunday, officials said. It was not immediately clear if she was among a group of immigrants recently bused into the city from Texas, but Mayor Eric Adams said she was “traumatized by this whole experience” and that “the failure was the governors who sent the people on many days of bus rides.”
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Welcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of the immigration crisis
Welcome to the live blog of The Independent’s coverage of the evolving immigration crisis in Martha’s Vineyard and Washington, DC. Follow here for live updates. Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 15:21 1663252071
Ron DeSantis sends two planes of undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis sent two planes of undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, an exclusive island off the coast of Massachusetts where Barack Obama has a mansion. Migrants can be seen disembarking from planes at the island’s airport on Wednesday in video obtained by Fox News Digital. “Yes, Florida can confirm that the two planes of 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 governor’s communications director, Taryn Fenske, told the right news organization. Florida’s Republican-controlled state legislature handed the governor $12 million to remove immigrants from the state and relocate them. Many of the 50 migrants who landed at the popular vacation island’s airport reportedly had no idea where they were headed before taking off from Florida and still had no idea where they had landed, CBS reports. They had reportedly been told that wherever they headed there would be jobs and housing available to them, the news agency continued. Read my colleague Graeme Massie’s full report below:
Ron DeSantis sends two planes of undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Barack Obama owns $12 million fortune on exclusive island off Massachusetts Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 15:27 1663252180
Texas sends two busloads of immigrants to Kamala Harris’ home
Two busloads of migrants sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott carrying between 75 and 100 people arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Washington. The buses arrived Thursday morning after leaving Del Rio, Texas, according to Fox News Digital. The Naval Observatory, the designated residence of the vice president since 1974, is located in northwest Washington, DC. The migrants were picked up at Eagle Pass, which, like Del Rio, is along the Mexican border. Fox News Digital reported that the migrants came from Venezuela, Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico. The conservative outlet claimed that some of the migrants said they believed the border was open. Continue reading the full briefing from my colleague Graeme Massie here:
Texas sends two busloads of immigrants to Kamala Harris’ home
Two busloads of migrants sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott carrying between 75 and 100 people arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Washington. Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 15:29 1663254035
Mike Pompeo laughs at immigrants being taken to sanctuary cities
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laughed at the undocumented immigrants arriving in Martha’s Vineyard and Washington this week. Fox host Jesse Watters discussed the latest developments with the former secretary of state during a Wednesday night show and pointed out how the popular vacation destination is home to many left-leaning celebrities, including former President Barack Obama, Rosie O’Donnell and Jay . -Z and Beyoncé. “Do you think they’re going to embrace their new neighbors,” the Fox News host asked his guest. “You know these are all sanctuary cities until they’re in their sanctuary,” the former Trump aide said, before stifling a few laughs. “I doubt they’ll embrace them,” who recently announced his intentions for a possible presidential run in 2024. Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 16:00 1663258822
DeSantis created a “humanitarian emergency,” authorities say
Late Wednesday night, authorities on Martha’s Vineyard were still trying to respond to the unannounced planes from Florida that had landed 50 undocumented immigrants on the Massachusetts island earlier in the afternoon. “There was no advance notice to anyone on Martha’s Vineyard or in Massachusetts that these immigrants were arriving, to my knowledge,” said state Sen. Julian Scheer. Dukes County, the second least populous county in Massachusetts, announced on Twitter that it will activate emergency shelters, which are usually only opened during natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. “Due to an unexpected #humanitarian emergency, #DCEMA is opening #EmergencyShelters tonight at #MarthasVineyard. If you are willing and able to volunteer in a clinical or non-clinical role, please contact @DukesOffice at 508-684-8015,” the emergency management association tweeted Wednesday night. Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 17:20 1663266415
DeSantis threatens to fly “several thousand more” immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis has threatened to fly “a few thousand more” undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Christina Pushaw, the rapid response director for Mr. DeSantis’ re-election campaign, challenged officials on the exclusive island off the coast of Massachusetts to take more migrants from Florida. Graeme Massie15 September 2022 19:26 1663267612
DeSantis brags about Martha’s Vineyard’s ‘innovative’ migrant flight despite widespread criticism
Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis has boasted of his “innovative” strategy to send two planes full of immigrants from Venezuela to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. “We are not a sanctuary state and it is better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction,” Mr. DeSantis said at an event. “And yes, we will help facilitate that transfer so you can go to greener pastures.”
DeSantis brags about Martha’s Vineyard immigrant flight despite criticism
“We are not a sanctuary state,” says Florida’s governor Graeme Massie15 September 2022 19:46 1663268632
JFK Library tweets about DeSantis immigrant flights
The 35th president’s presidential library tweeted an article about the “Reverse Freedom Rides” that southern states once offered to black Americans. “To embarrass northern liberals and humiliate blacks, Southern White Citizens’ Councils began so-called ‘Reverse Freedom Rides,’ giving blacks one-way tickets to northern cities with false promises of jobs, housing, and better life”, the library. he tweeted. Graeme Massie15 September 2022 20:03 1663270522
Opinion: What insiders are saying about Ron DeSandis running for president in 2024
Ron DeSantis is considered a potential candidate on the Republican ticket in the 2024 presidential election. One of the cannon governor’s selling platforms is his hardline approach to immigration. Often in his speeches, he talked about busing immigrants to Delaware. With the Florida governor once again making headlines for his controversial policies, it’s worth revisiting The Independent’s recent assessment of what insiders are saying about the GOP governor’s run for president in 2024. The Florida governor has become the conservative golden boy over the past two years due to his lax approach to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and his tough stance, as well as some major political gains for conservatives. Now he seems to be attracting attention not only from Republicans, but from Democrats as well. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose profile has risen since rejecting a conservative-backed recall last year, ran an ad over the holiday weekend bashing DeSandis and urging people who don’t like him to come to California. Eric Garcia, The Independent Read Eric Garcia’s full take below:
Ron DeSantis is the Republican superstar of 2024. I’m afraid
Florida’s governor has recently passed a series of controversial bills, each one more extreme than the last. Johanna Chisholm15 September 2022 20:35 1663272292
Mitt Romney Defends GOP Governors DeSantis and Abbott Taking Immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney had no sympathy for Democratic leaders in cities and states across the country Thursday after news that GOP governors were stepping up efforts to move groups of immigrants into their jurisdictions. John Bowden has the details.
Mitt Romney defends GOP governors taking immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Senator reacts after shocking stories of young migrants ‘herded’ onto buses Graeme Massie15 September 2022 21:04
