Texas sheriff certifies Martha's Vineyard migrants as crime victims, allowing for special visas


Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, Texas, has declared the 49 migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) were victims of a crime. Salazar's declaration will allow them to apply for a special visa to remain in the United States, per the Texas Tribune.
"Based upon the claims of migrants being transported from Bexar County under false pretenses, we are investigating this case as possible Unlawful Restraint," Salazar said in a statement to radio station WGBH.
Rachel Self, a Massachusetts attorney representing the mostly Venezuelan migrants, said Salazar's decision is critical to their applications for a U visa, an immigration status reserved for migrants who are either victims of or witnesses to certain crimes on U.S. soil. Applications for these visas need to be signed by a law enforcement officer before submission to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, per Politico.
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.
Salazar's office announced it would be opening an investigation into the flights DeSantis chartered out of San Antonio on Sept. 15.
Migrants reported a woman named Perla convinced them to board the planes to Massachusetts by offering them employment, housing, and education resources if they complied, the Tribune reports.
DeSantis received significant backlash for transporting the migrants, a move he made to protest Biden's immigration policy. Several politicians deemed it a political ploy and urged the government to investigate.
The inspector general of the Treasury Department recently announced an investigation into whether DeSantis improperly used COVID relief funds to fund the planes to Martha's Vineyard.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Budget-friendly Alpine escapes: the best ski resorts in Austria
The Week Recommends Expect fewer tourists and plenty of snow in the stunning Austrian Alps
-
Megabatteries are powering up clean energy
Under the radar They can store and release excess energy
-
Crossword: October 21, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies
Speed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
Are inflatable costumes and naked bike rides helping or hurting ICE protests?
Talking Points Trump administration efforts to portray Portland and Chicago as dystopian war zones have been met with dancing frogs, bare butts and a growing movement to mock MAGA doomsaying