(Headline USA) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week that he’ll start sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard again if illegals fleeing Haiti start arriving in his state.
DeSantis said Florida law enforcement was prepared for an influx of Haitian refugees following the gang take-over of the Caribbean island this month.
The governor said he had deployed dozens of officers and soldiers—along with helicopters, drones and boats to patrol the South Florida waterways, which are about 840 miles from Haiti.
These efforts have already been successful, according to DeSantis, who noted the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently caught a boat carrying 25 Haitians—including five children, along with firearms, night-vision goggles and drugs—off Florida’s coast.
“Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard,” he told conservative commentator Dana Loesch. “Look, Dana, I’ve got to defend my state. I’ve got enough issues just dealing with people fleeing from blue states moving to Florida.”
🚨 BREAKING🚨
"Haitians land in Florida Keys, their next stop very well be Martha's Vineyard" ~ @RonDeSantis
Podcast: https://t.co/HHFoIyoQxb pic.twitter.com/1xMvrWmKtg
— The Dana Show (@DanaLoeschRadio) March 19, 2024
“Squad” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., slammed DeSantis’s threat, accusing him of playing “cruel political games” with migrants.
“Families fleeing unspeakable violence in Haiti and other countries deserve to be met with compassion—not to be used as pawns,” she said in a statement. “That DeSantis would continue exploiting vulnerable families is unconscionable but unsurprising from a failed presidential candidate seeking to stay relevant.”
Pressley is one of several congressional leftists who demanded that the Biden administration stop all deportations back to Haiti until conditions on the island improve.
“It is far past time to take federal action to stabilize Haiti and save lives,” she added.
DeSantis was one of several Republican governors who began shipping illegal immigrants apprehended in their states to designated sanctuary cities. In 2022, he flew 50 migrants, mainly from Venezuela, to Martha’s Vineyard, prompting fierce backlash from Massachusetts Democrats.
