Texas sheriff opens criminal probe into migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard: ‘It’s wrong’ – National
One Texas The county sheriff is opening a criminal investigation into flights carrying dozens of immigrant to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, from Texas last week, an act From Florida The Republican governor took credit and was seen as a political stunt by the White House.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference Monday that about 50 migrants were “falsified” on the streets of San Antonio, taken to hotels, boarded planes and “stuck” gratuitously at Martha’s Vineyard,” a wealthy resort islander, “is nothing but a photo session.”
San Antonio is the largest city in Bexar County.
“The thing that angers me the most about this case is that we have 48 people who are going through tough times,” Salazar said. “I believe they were hunted.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent two planes carrying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard
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Salazar, a Democrat, said his move was unrelated to his party. “It is wrong from a human rights perspective. What has been done to these people is wrong. “
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spokesman said immigrants were “ready to leave Bexar County after more abandonment”.
“Florida gave them the opportunity to find greener pastures in a reserve that provided more resources for them, as we expected,” said DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske. in an emailed statement.
Salazar said his office is working with advocacy groups and private attorneys representing victims and can coordinate with federal agencies as needed.
DeSantis, who will be re-elected in November and is considered a possible presidential candidate in 2024, announced recognition for two flights from San Antonio, while also criticizing the General Democratic President Joe Biden handles record numbers of US-Mexico border crossings.
DeSantis joins Republican governors from Texas and Arizona in bringing migrants to Democratic-controlled cities, including buses carrying migrants from Texas to near the Vice President’s residence Kamala Harris in Washington.
DeSantis said last week that Florida paid to bring migrants to Martha’s Vineyard because many of the migrants to Florida came from Texas.
Republicans are trying to shift responsibility for border crossings to Democratic leaders. The Biden administration has said Republicans are using migrants as “political pawns”.
While details of how the flights were arranged and paid for are still unclear, one migrant told Reuters he and his family were employed outside a migrant assistance center in San Antonio and promised housing, 90-day support, work permit help and English learning. He said they were surprised when their flight landed on an island known as a summer getaway, mostly populated by wealthy, free Americans.
U.S. border agents made nearly 2 million migrant arrests throughout August at the U.S.-Mexico border this financial year, which began last October, according to government data released on Monday. They include a growing number of Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and others who cannot be deported to Mexico under public health orders in place since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Many people seek to pursue asylum claims.
(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York, Jason Buch in Madison and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Writing by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Leslie Adler)
