“There is nothing tough about using women and children and families as your political tools,” Massachusetts Representative Dylan Fernandes said on MSNBC. “[Governor] Ron DeSantis is a coward.”
The Massachusetts Representative was referring to the busing of 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts this past week.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker ordered shelter and humanitarian aid for the migrants at Joint Base Cape Cod, and National Guard troops are assisting them, in the Martha’s Vineyard area.
Officials in Massachusetts are now requesting that the Department of Justice open a human trafficking probe in order to investigate the legalities of the moving of migrants, which is being done by the governors of Texas, Florida and Arizona.
“We are requesting that the Department of Justice open an investigation to hold DeSantis and others accountable for these inhumane acts,” state Rep. Fernandes tweeted Sunday.
“Not only is it morally criminal, there are legal implications around fraud, kidnapping, deprivation of liberty, and human trafficking, ” he continued.
The Venezuelans were picked up in Texas, but their travel paid for by Florida taxpayers. DeSantis is participating with Governor Gregg Abbott of Texas in a $12 million Florida program to send illegal migrants from the Mexican border to states that claim to be “sanctuary” locations.
Claims have been made that the migrants were promised jobs in order to force them to get on planes to the north. DeSantis denied this and says the migrants weren’t fooled.
In response to reports that President Biden was sending help to the Texas border, DeSantis said, “It’s only when you have 50 illegal aliens end up in a wealthy rich enclave that he (Biden) decides to scramble at this.”
The busing of the migrants has been going on for several months. The latest “deliveries” were to Chicago, Washington DC, Martha’s Vineyard, and to the official home of Vice President Kamala Harris. Thousands of migrants have been sent to New York City, where shelters and temporary housing are overflowing.
According to Governor Gregg Abbott and his “Operation Lonestar,” Texas has bused over 8,000 migrants to Washington DC since April and over 2,500 migrants to New York City since August 5. More than 600 migrants from Texas have arrived in Chicago since August. The Operation Lodestar website says the busing mission is providing much-needed relief Texas’ overwhelmed border towns.
This week, a northern California immigrant advocacy group said it was assisting eight migrants from Venezuela who arrived in Sacramento on two separate flights. Three of the arrivals walked barefoot from the Sacramento International Airport to the Catholic Charities offices in downtown Sacramento. They were given food and shelter.
“They’ve been sleeping outside, like tired, falling asleep standing up today. Just really sad,” said NorCal Resist Volunteer Autumn Gonzalez.
Reportedly, other Venezuelan migrants were dropped off in other parts of the country.
The Venezuelan migrants in Sacramento had paperwork from the Department of Homeland Security, and they have hearings scheduled for later in September with US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. They were put on the planes to Sacramento but it is uncertain who arranged or paid for it.
