Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ determination to ship 50 Venezuelan immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard has thrust unlawful immigration into the hearth of the contentious midterm elections whereas giving DeSantis a leg up within the GOP 2024 race.
As the group of immigrants shipped to Cape Cod — courtesy of taxpayers — DeSantis appeared to bask within the nationwide publicity of the transfer, saying he deliberate to ship extra planeloads of unlawful immigrants to tony Democratic sanctuary states like Massachusetts.
The political tug of conflict over the immigrants — from either side of the aisle — centered the highlight squarely on the immigration disaster on the borders — which is what Republicans need.
But outraged Democrats say the callous political determination by DeSantis was a merciless stunt and famous that Martha’s Vineyard residents welcomed the immigrants — at the very least for 2 days — and didn’t shun them.
“What they’re doing is simply wrong, it’s un-American it’s reckless,” President Biden mentioned.
DeSantis mentioned the disaster confirmed that Biden’s open borders immigration coverage isn’t working.
“It’s only when you have 50 illegal aliens end up in a very wealthy, rich sanctuary enclave that he decides to scramble on this,” DeSantis mentioned on Friday.
DeSantis, who has a re-election race however is already gearing for a 2024 White House marketing campaign, might now be displacing former President Donald Trump because the GOP’s high canine. The Florida governor needs a confrontation with Biden.
While Trump has been sidelined by the authorized battle over high secret White House paperwork, with a attainable indictment looming, DeSantis has pounced to fill the void.
Republicans hope to grab on the unlawful immigration disaster to maintain weakened Democrats on the defensive proper earlier than the November elections.
Immigration might stand beside abortion rights and the financial system as the most important points driving voters, and DeSantis helped gentle the hearth.
While Massachusetts — a misplaced trigger for Republicans — and GOP Gov. Charlie Baker mobilized the National Guard to assist the Venezuelan immigrants, the state should additionally spend cash on well being care, housing, jobs and training — a state of affairs border states are already coping with.
Just as a result of they present up on Martha’s Vineyard and get bottled water and fruit cups, getting handled extra like alternate college students, that’s removed from the tip of the issue. For every one among these immigrants it’s a significant allocation of taxpayer-funded sources.
And what if 5,000 — not 50 — immigrants get bused up right here?
It stands to place a significant pressure on the sources of small communities and states, and in the end the immigrants will find yourself within the poorest communities — Brockton, Lawrence, Chelsea — not Wellesley or Edgartown.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”