Florida paid close to 1 million dollars to organize the transfer of almost a hundred migrants to the states of Delaware and Illinois, in the north of the United States, who had entered the country irregularly, according to local media revealed on Saturday (15.10 .2022).
Florida media disclosed documents from the Department of Transportation of that state in what supposes the continuation of the flights of last September 14 made from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, in the state of Massachusetts, with almost fifty migrants, mostly Venezuelans .
The governor of Florida, the Republican Ron DeSantis, had explained in relation to those flights that he organized in September and that caused controversy, that it was a response to, in his opinion, the failed immigration policy of the administration of the PresidentJoe Biden.
The migrants, mostly Venezuelans, were in San Antonio, Texas, when DeSantis organized their transfer to Martha’s Vineyard, in the state of Massachusetts, on the northeast coast of the United States.
These two new additional flights reported today were scheduled for before the 3rd of this month, but would have been cancelled, although the contracted company extended the deadline until December 1, according to information from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Flights sparked controversy
DeSantis’ decision last September unleashed a strong controversy in Florida and was answered by different associations and groups.
The Bexar County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office reported last Thursday that the 49 migrants sent to Massachusetts by DeSantis are “victims of a crime,” which enables them to obtain a visa and stay in the United States.
Bexar Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement that “based on the testimonies of the migrants transported under false promises, the case is being investigated as a possible illegal arrest.”
The transfer ordered by DeSantis faces several lawsuits in court and, in addition, the Treasury Department is investigating whether the Republican inappropriately used relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic to pay for the flights.
Washington prosecutor Karl Racine launched an investigation into the transfer of migrants from southern and border states to the US capital.
In recent months, in addition to DeSantis, Republican Governors Greg Abbott (Texas) and Doug Ducey (Arizona) have sent migrants from their states to others with Democratic governments in the north of the country.
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