Martha's Vineyard

Massachusetts authorities announced Friday that they will move approximately 50 migrants from the island of Martha's Vineyard to a military base in Cape Cod ...

The migrants will have access to health care and mental health counseling in their native language. The base is unable to accept donations, officials said. The facility also has space for access to legal services and healthcare. Some said they had expected to arrive in a bigger city, close to public transportation, and not a small island of 20,000 people. “While Wednesday’s arrival on Martha’s Vineyard was unexpected, the extraordinary response was not,” Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy said. Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, one of the oldest Hispanic membership organizations in the country, said Friday at a news conference on Martha’s Vineyard that the governors’ flights to Democrat cities and towns a “gross abuse of power.” He called on the U.S. The move is part of an ongoing campaign by DeSantis and other Republican governors in Texas and Arizona to send migrants to Democrat-heavy cities such as Washington, New York and Chicago to publicize soaring numbers of crossings this year on the southern border. Justice Department to investigate the incident for possible human-trafficking or civil-rights violations. Many of the migrants are from Venezuela, a South American nation that has been But Republicans defended the action, saying border cities were experiencing influxes in even greater numbers. State and local officials will also ensure migrants have food, shelter and other services. “Instead of working with us on solutions, Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props,” he said.

The nation is watching as state and local officials figure out long-term plans to house the Venezuelan migrants.

[President Biden](https://www.axios.com/2022/04/26/americans-concerned-about-illegal-immigration) over his immigration and border policies — aimed at forcing predominantly Democratic-run states to grapple with social safety-net issues. Greg Abbott (R) in sending migrants to Ron DeSantis (R) sent two planes of undocumented migrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts on Wednesday, joining Texas Gov. Charlie Baker (R) also plans to activate up to 125 National Guard members to help respond to the needs of the asylum seekers. Greg Abbott (R) in a campaign against the immigration policies of Democrats and President Biden. The migrants had been staying at a church in Edgarton. We are going to take care of these people, be it here or on Cape Cod or elsewhere," state Sen. Julian Cyr, who represents the Cape and Islands, told reporters Thursday outside the church in Edgarton. [On the ground: The scramble to help migrants on Martha's Vineyard](/2022/09/15/migrants-marthas-vineyard-immigration) Details: The state said the move to Joint Base Cape Cod is voluntary. They say flying migrants to so-called sanctuary cities will force their Democratic counterparts to grapple with social safety-net issues. But they were caught off-guard when they were sent to Martha's Vineyard, and not Boston.

The migrants will be brought to an emergency shelter at Joint Base Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, which served as an alternative medical care ...

“Our administration has been working across state government to develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the services they need going forward, and Joint Base Cape Cod is well equipped to serve these needs.” “Because these governors care more about creating political theater than creating actual solutions to help.” “These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers in places like Mexico and Guatemala. Those governors, Jean-Pierre said, “treated [the migrants] like chattel in a cruel, premeditated political stunt.” The Republican-led Florida Legislature had previously approved $12 million to go toward moving migrants out of Florida to other states. “Our administration has been working across state government to develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the services they need going forward," Massachusetts Gov.

The migrants will have temporary housing on Joint Base Cape Cod in Buzzards Bay.

“We are grateful to the providers, volunteers and local officials that stepped up on Martha’s Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals,” Governor Charlie Baker said in a statement Friday morning. lawmakers knock ‘political games’ that sent migrants to Massachusetts](https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2022/09/15/mass-lawmakers-knock-political-games-that-sent-migrants-to-massachusetts) [Plane of migrants arrives on Martha's Vineyard unannounced, island mobilizes with aid](https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/09/15/migrants-plane-lands-on-marthas-vineyard-as-island-mobilizes) [Migrants sent north by Texas governor have begun appearing in Boston hospitals seeking help](https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/09/14/migrants-sent-north-by-texas-governor-have-begun-appearing-in-boston-hospitals-seeking-help) [Texas Gov. Though they had a place to sleep, the shelter had only one shower, officials said. Instead, they were dropped on Martha’s Vineyard with no notice to local government or social services officials, leaving people on the island scrambling to provide food, shelter and basic needs. Abbott uses Martha's Vineyard migrant flights as rallying cry](https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/09/15/texas-gov-greg-abbott-uses-marthas-vineyard-migrant-flights-as-rally-cry) Officials announced the migrants will have temporary housing on Joint Base Cape Cod in Buzzards Bay.

Democrats outraged at the 'reckless' and 'soulless' actions and question the legality of what some called a political stunt.

This was obviously a sadistic lie,” Rachel Self, a Boston immigration attorney assisting with the migrants’ cases, said at a press briefing. It’s un-American, it’s reckless and we have a process in place to manage migrants at the border. We’re working to make sure it’s safe and orderly and humane. Migrants are regularly tricked and defrauded as part of their trafficking experience, with traffickers and exploiters taking advantage of their recent arrival, limited English proficiency, and unfamiliarity with our government systems and labor laws.” “Unfortunately, this tactic is one that we know far too well in the anti-trafficking world. In what immigration activists and Democratic politicians have decried as a “political stunt”, DeSantis, who is expected to run for the Republican party’s presidential nomination in 2024, arranged for two charter planes of about 50 migrant adults and children to fly from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday.

The immigrants who were sent from Texas to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will now be housed in Joint Base Cape Cod.

"We are grateful to the providers, volunteers and local officials that stepped up on Martha's Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals," Baker said in a statement. [were surprised themselves, since they had been told](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/16/1123369533/migrants-marthas-vineyard-community-help) they were being sent to Boston for work opportunities. There, the state will provide shelter, food and other essential services, Baker said.

Could sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard break the law? "Our clients were lied to, and many misrepresentations were made. That could expose those actors to ...

“Exactly who was doing what and filling out what forms on their behalf — that is unclear,” Sellstrom continued. “That could expose those actors to both civil and criminal liability.” “So we have asked both state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute in appropriate cases for human trafficking, false imprisonment, kidnapping — a variety of laws that may have been broken here by this conduct.” to see any and all legal action that we might be able to take.” Likewise, local nonprofit [Lawyers for Civil Rights](http://lawyersforcivilrights.org/) urged law enforcement to investigate criminal charges against DeSantis and any accomplices. Attorney Rachael Rollins said her office will be taking guidance from the Department of Justice and will be “looking long and hard … However, “It is now apparent that these migrant families were misled — indeed manipulated — into embarking on this journey,” he added. “Florida is not a sanctuary state,” the DeSantis administration stated. [called on](https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2022/09/15/gavin-newsom-doj-explore-kidnapping-charges-migrant-flight-marthas-vineyard/) Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to investigate whether the transport violated federal law. “I assure you that I am thinking long and hard about what we can do with respect to the individuals that are using people, quite frankly, and sending them to our commonwealth where we welcome people,” she added. Julian Cyr, who represents Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, said in a statement that the community “moved heaven and earth” to welcome and care for the migrants. “We will continue to facilitate a program to assist the transportation of illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities and states across the country.”

Tricked by white supremacists with promises of work and housing, Black families were dropped in Cape Cod with nothing. Sound familiar?

In the 1960s, the buses were funded by anonymous people donating to private segregationist groups. DeSantis has not said how the flights he arranged to Martha’s Vineyard were funded, but Tex. Greg Abbott (R) has used state resources and donations for the buses. Days later, disembarking with her eight children, she had little idea where she was, that a president had a family compound down the road, or that she was a “pawn,” as locals told the New York Times, in a political stunt. The welcome was not universal. Then, as now in Cape Cod, many residents of Hyannis met the riders with open arms. He urged residents to “show understanding and compassion.” Racist White neighbors resented their presence in public schools and harassed them. Ron DeSantis ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2022/09/16/migrants-desantis-marthas-vineyard/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4)(R). [Martha’s Vineyard](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/09/16/marthas-vineyard-housing-rentals-crisis/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) — a resort island off Cape Cod where former president Barack Obama has a home — courtesy of a flight arranged by [Florida Gov. “The only way to meet such cruelty is by wisdom and love,” Episcopal Bishop Anson Phelps Stokes Jr. Eliza Davis was bewildered the day she arrived in a wealthy tourist town on Cape Cod.

The flights, arranged by Florida's Republican governor, underscored how easily the fate of immigrants can be swept up in politics.

On Friday, a group of migrants, mostly originating from Venezuela, arrived at their new temporary home on Cape Cod.

Massachusetts politicians and advocacy groups expressed outrage Thursday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planes filled with about 50 unauthorized ...

[statement on Twitter](https://twitter.com/andreaforag/status/1570460504807673857?s=46&t=i4VYHE5DpBDN6zmnmAXWFA), wrote, "In Massachusetts, we don't believe in political stunts. "Immigrants and asylum-seekers are people—period," Rose said. "We have a crisis at America’s southern border. "This isn't about having Massachusetts or other so-called blue states sort of pitching in to help in the migrant crisis. Healey, a Democrat, is also running for governor. We believe in helping people. "But you really can't provide adequate support and services for people when you have no notification of their arrival." In a statement Thursday afternoon, Republican Gov. And that is simply disgusting." Massachusetts officials said they were caught by surprise by the airlift. Diehl said some states like Florida have been forced to find ways to deal with an influx of immigrants to protect residents and blasted Massachusetts as a "sanctuary state" that protects people living in the U.S. “On behalf of the Commonwealth, I thank everyone on the ground who quickly came together to provide assistance on the Vineyard," Baker said in the statement.