TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration plans to proceed flying migrants who entered the nation illegally to Democratic strongholds, his spokeswoman stated Saturday, a day after newly launched information confirmed the state paid practically $1 million to rearrange two units of flights to Delaware and Illinois.
Documents launched Friday present that the 2 units of deliberate flights will transport about 100 migrants to these two states. They have been scheduled to occur earlier than Oct. 3 however apparently have been halted or postponed. The contractor employed by Florida later prolonged the window for the journeys till Dec. 1, in response to memos launched by the state Department of Transportation.
When requested why they flights have been postponed, DeSantis’ communications director, Taryn Fenske, famous that Florida has been busy coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
“While Florida has had all hands on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program remains active,” Fenske stated in an electronic mail Saturday.
The flights could be a follow-up to the Sept. 14 flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, that carried 49 largely Venezuelan migrants to the island the place former President Barack Obama owns a house. Local officers weren’t advised prematurely that the migrants have been coming.
DeSantis claimed accountability for the flights as a part of a marketing campaign to focus consideration on what he has referred to as the Biden administration’s failed border insurance policies. He was becoming a member of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott within the tactic of sending migrants to Democratic strongholds with out advance warning.
Earlier this yr, the Florida Legislature accepted a $12 million finances merchandise to relocate individuals within the nation illegally from Florida to a different location. The cash got here from curiosity earned from federal funds given to Florida underneath the American Rescue Plan. While the migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard originated in Texas, the constitution airplane carrying them made a cease in Florida.
DeSantis has stated that the migrants’ intention was to come back to Florida.
The paperwork launched Friday gave no particulars of how migrants have been recruited in San Antonio for the Martha Vineyard flights or who was employed to conduct that a part of the operation.
The Martha’s Vineyard flight has additionally spawned lawsuits accusing Florida of mendacity to the migrants to get them to comply with the flights.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”