Fla. governor: Haitians could be sent to Mass.
DeSantis had migrants flown to state in 2022
HYANNIS, Mass. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made comments on a podcast Tuesday suggesting he might send a potential influx of Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, echoing a controversial move he made in 2022 when he arranged to have 50 Venezuelan migrants flown to the island unannounced.
The comments made on a podcast hosted by conservative radio host Dana Loesch come ahead of a potential wave of Haitian migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing violence and chaos in their home country.
In the event DeSantis were to send Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Chilmark Select Board Vice Chair James Malkin said the island’s towns, churches and community would do the best they can to take care of the people “appropriately, legally and with compassion” – as they did with the Venezuelans.
In recent months, Haiti has devolved into gang violence, with civilians caught in the crossfire. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced March 11 he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created.
Florida has not yet experienced an influx of migrants fleeing Haiti, but DeSantis has signaled he is prepared to resume the program that flew migrants arriving at the Texas border to blue states in the Northeast and California.
“We do have our transport program also that is going to be operational,” DeSantis said on the podcast. “So, if Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop may very well be Martha’s Vineyard.”
Malkin said when 50 Venezuelan migrants landed on Martha’s Vineyard in September 2022, many of whom were children, the island came together to see that their humanitarian needs were taken care of.
“There have been three times in my experience where the island has come together without any issues,” he said. “This was one of them.”
The migrants were then voluntarily moved to Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne, where many remained until further arrangements could be made. Malkin said some returned to Martha’s Vineyard for work and living arrangements.
At the time, the move was called a “blatant disregard for human life” by a joint delegation of Venezuelan-American groups, who also accused DeSantis of lying to Cuban and Venezuelan people when they said he pledged not to send migrants from either country out of state.
The Venezuelan migrants and Boston legal aid group Lawyers for Civil Rights subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking a nationwide injunction to block DeSantis from engaging in actions they allege endanger human lives. The suit claims that the defendants made false promises of jobs, housing, educational opportunities and other assistance if plaintiffs and class members were willing to board the airplanes.
Lawyers for Civil Rights could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
After Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois II took office in January 2023, his administration looked into whether charges related to “any potentially criminal activity” might be filed because the migrants had been flown to Martha’s Vineyard.
“All materials were reviewed that were made available to us,” said Danielle Whitney, spokesperson for the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, on Thursday.
Ultimately the matter was referred to the U.S. Department of Justice, she said.
Contributing: Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times