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.
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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.
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