Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says he will investigate unnamed suspects for "luring" 48 illegal immigrants from Venezuela to Florida to then fly them to Martha's Vineyard, where they were "unceremoniously stranded." Salazar stated he couldn't give any names because it's an active investigation, but everyone knows one of the suspects is Gov. Ron DeSantis. He says he is "infuriated" because the illegals are here "legally" now and are being used as political pawns. An excerpt of Salazar's press conference is below:
"Our understanding is that a Venezuelan migrant was paid what we would call a bird dog fee to recruit approximately 50 migrants from the area around a migrant Resource Center. Forty-eight migrants were lured, I will use the word lured, under false pretenses into staying at a hotel for a couple of days. They were shuttled to an airplane where they were flown to Florida and then eventually flow into Martha's Vineyard, again under false pretenses. As the information that we have that they were promised to work, they were promised the solution to several of their problems. They were taken to Martha's Vineyard for what? From what we can gather, for nothing for little more than a photo op.
What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people that are already on hard times, right? They are here legally in our country at that point. They have every right to be where they are, and I believe that they were preyed upon. Somebody came from out-of-state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they're absolutely looking for, and with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could, they could be offered for a better life to just be exploited and hoodwinked."
DeSantis justified the transfer contending his state is not a Sanctuary state, but he was "glad" to "facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions.
"We are not a sanctuary state," he added a couple of days later, "And it's better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction, and yes, we will help facilitate that transport for you to be able to go to greener pastures. Every community in America should be sharing in the burdens. It shouldn't all fall on a handful of red states."
On Monday's show, Canadian lawyer Viva Frei said, along with lawyer Robert Barnes, that—while not codified as a sanctuary state—Massachusetts was effectively designated as such in 2017 because of a court ruling stating court officers have no authority to arrest illegals who have no criminal records.
Of note, Democratic mayor Oscar Leeser of El Paso, Texas, is now defending his right to send migrants to NYC in coordination with Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has allegedly authorized as many as "200 migrants per day" to come to the Big Apple.
Biden Administration Critical of DeSantis's Actions
DeSantis was sharply criticized by the White House for his actions. Biden stated at a Hispanic Gala affair, "Republican Governors are playing politics with human beings, using them as props." He was referencing migrants being shipped to a number of locations by Texas Governor Abbott, including Kamala Harris' gated home in D.C., New York City, and Delaware, to name a few. Biden, however, left out the part where, without notice to the receiving states, he has authorized the transportation of thousands of illegals to interior states from California to New York starting in the spring of 2021.
A spokesperson from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office told reporters that while DeSantis had not coordinated directly with Abbott, officials in the state appreciate the "support in responding to this national crisis and helping Texans."
"Our office has had conversations with Governor DeSantis and his team about supporting our busing strategy to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed and overrun border communities," the spokesman said. "Though we were not involved in these initial planes to Martha's Vineyard, we appreciate the support in responding to this national crisis and helping Texans. Governor Abbott encourages and welcomes all his fellow governors to engage in this effort to secure the border and focus on the failing and illegal efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration to continue these reckless open border policies."
Martha's Vineyard Residents Say Immigrants Have to Move
The arrival of the illegals caused quite a kerfluffle on the tiny island, which is home to many wealthy Liberals, including former President Obama, who owns a massive $11.75 million waterfront mansion there. Some residents were upset because they said they didn't have the infrastructure or the housing for the 48 migrants.
However, according to Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy, residents pulled it together for a couple of days to provide "safe shelter, food, and care for individuals that had been through a long, harrowing journey." One resident praised DeSantis saying, "It wasn't a stunt, even though the media is saying it is." She added that she supports DeSantis because it is the only way to "get the attention of the administration and Harris," whose border policy "is really a joke and everyone knows it." Shortly after their arrival, the immigrants were taken to Joint Base Cape Cod, where "an emergency shelter designated by the state emergency management agency" is already set up to receive needy families.
DeSantis's decision to fly illegals to Martha's Vineyard has forced the American public and the national media into a more fulsome debate on the dangerous humanitarian crisis that is Biden's open border policy. The Biden administration's latest numbers show a record influx of over 2 million illegals across the Southwest Land border. Some of those are alleged criminals in their home countries. DeSantis's actions have also triggered many to comment on the apparent "hypocrisy" of the Liberal mindset that champions open borders. It is a mindset that finds it a-okay to allow illegals to burden the resources of border towns but thinks it is a hardship to house 50 migrants in the off-season on Martha's Vineyard for a few days.
