DeSantis sued over migrant relocations
MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials are being sued in federal court by immigrant rights groups that challenge the constitutionality of the state’s migrant relocation program.
The suit was filed Thursday by three groups against DeSantis and state Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature approved a $12 million budget item to relocate people in the U.S. illegally from Florida to another location. The money came from interest earned on federal funds given to Florida under the American Rescue Plan.
The lawsuit claims the appropriation creates an incoherent definition of “unauthorized alien” that is inconsistent with federal immigration laws. The groups claim the designation may include people whose presence is authorized by the federal government, but who now risk harassment for merely wishing to either enter or stay in the state.
In September, Florida officials arranged flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., that carried 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the island.
DeSantis, a Republican, said it was part of a campaign to focus attention on what he calls the Biden administration’s failed border policies. He was joining Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the tactic of sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without warning.
The Martha’s Vineyard flight has also spawned lawsuits accusing Florida of lying to the migrants in San Antonio to get them to go.