Ron DeSantis sends 2 planes of migrants to Martha's Vineyard


Approximately 50 migrants unexpectedly arrived at Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday night. The two planes, which originated in San Antonio, Texas, were paid for by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). He responded, saying, "We are not a sanctuary state, and it's better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction, and yes, we will help facilitate that transport for you to be able to go to greener pastures," reports CNN.
The group arrived with no warning, which caused confusion and some scrambling by locals to accommodate the newcomers. Massachusetts state Sen. Julian Cyr (D), who represents Martha's Vineyard, said that officials and volunteers "really moved heaven and Earth to essentially set up the response that we would do in the event of a hurricane." The migrants received COVID-19 tests, food, and clothing, The New York Times reports.
This is not the first time migrants have been transferred to blue state locations. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has spent $12 million to bus migrants to New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., "to rattle the Biden administration" for what he views as a failure of the administration to secure the border.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Many Democrats have denounced the actions of DeSantis and Abbott, including Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz, who said, "Even for Ron DeSantis, this is a new low."
"It's pretty disgusting to see that politicians are capitalizing on the difficult circumstances these families are in for a 'gotcha' moment and political stunt," Cyr remarked.
The island is currently focused on supporting the migrants who arrived.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
5 cultural trails to traverse by car
The Week Recommends Leave the hiking shoes at home
-
Could Iran's water crisis be the regime's tipping point?
Today's Big Question Drought is a problem. So is government mismanagement.
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein