Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday took credit for sending two planeloads of undocumented Venezuelans to affluent Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, while Republicans played up immigration issues ahead of November’s election.
About 50 of the migrants, including children, landed on Wednesday on the island, where Democratic presidents from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have summered.
According to Dylan Fernandes, a local lawmaker, they were flown on charter flights that departed from Texas.
And on Thursday, two buses, also reportedly from Texas, dropped off dozens of migrants outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ Washington residence, the latest such action by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Immigrants are dropped on Martha’s Vineyard on charter flights from Texas. Many do not know where they are. They say they were told they would get homes and jobs,” Fernandes wrote on Twitter.
“Republicans who call themselves Christians have planned for some time to use human life—men, women, and children—as political pawns. It’s evil and inhuman,” he said.
The moves came as DeSantis and Abbott, two of the country’s most prominent and combative Republican governors, sought to politically highlight the problems faced by tens of thousands of migrants attempting to cross the southwest border into the United States each month.
Abbott, whose state is the first destination for most migrants from Mexico, has been sending them north on buses, mostly to Washington, Chicago and New York, since April.
Abbott says the action is intended to bring relief to Texas border communities.
The Texas governor said Thursday Vice President Harris claims the border is safe and denies the existence of an immigration crisis.
“We are sending migrants to their backyard to ask the Biden administration to do its job and secure the border,” he tweeted.
DeSantis has supported Abbott and his aides said he was behind the flight to Martha’s Vineyard.
Although his state is not on the southwestern border, it is a destination for many migrants entering the country both legally and illegally.
DeSantis is also seeking re-election in the November midterm election and is also a top contender to run for president in 2024 under the Republican banner.
“States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the stewardship of these individuals that they have invited to our country,” DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske told US media when asked about the flights to Martha’s Vineyard.
