“We were tricked”: A Look Inside Florida Governor DeSantis’s Transportation of Migrants

On September 14, 2022, 48 migrants from San Antonio, Texas arrived in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts at the surprise of locals, community organizations, and the migrants themselves. Migrants were sent to Martha's Vineyard, believing they were flying to Boston, with the understanding that there would be jobs and resources available upon their arrival. Instead, they arrived at a Martha’s Vineyard community center that was just as blindsided as the migrants themselves. Paolo, a migrant from Venezuela, called his wife upon arrival. “My love, we were tricked…This woman lied to us. She lied,” he said into the phone. Despite the odds, the individuals and organizations within the town came together, providing the migrants with what they could. Sleeping arrangements were made, Spanish-speaking high school students were recruited to aid in communication, and clothes from the local thrift store were distributed.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took credit for this incident, and it soon became clear that this was a political demonstration – an attempt to deliver migrants to states that had opposed policies to restrict the ability for migrants to seek asylum. These demonstrations have not stopped with Martha’s Vineyard, though they have taken a different shape. In September of 2022, the Florida legislature set aside $12 million for a program meant to transport migrants from the state, but thus far these funds have been used to transport migrants residing in Texas, not Florida.

Additionally, Governor DeSantis has revealed very little regarding exactly what further implementation of these funds would entail. A spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management explained that the state has selected multiple vendors to carry out the program from selecting migrants to arranging for resources upon their arrival. However, few details past this have been relinquished. Even so, multiple flights this year sanctioned by the Florida government have arrived in California carrying migrants, including in June when 36 arrived in Sacramento. The degree to which each migrant transported seemed to be aware of what they were signing up for appears to vary. Some claim that they were pressured to board the flights while others say they were grateful for the opportunity. There does seem to be a theme, however, of migrants being misled. Continuously, on these trips, migrants are told they will be provided with work and housing, but when they arrive, these resources are either not what they were promised or entirely unavailable. The transportation of these migrants was met with condemnation by Gavin Newson, California’s governor, who stated that these actions are “... a manifestation of the worst of the worst of humanity.”

The legality of this policy, especially as it relates to the events at Martha’s Vineyard, remain under question. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has filed several criminal charges with the local district attorney on several counts of unlawful restraint. Many other lawsuits regarding this particular transfer of migrants and others continue to hang over the state, even as it continues to actively implement the policy.

The effects of this policy remain unclear. However, it is certain that the movement of migrants to blue states amounts to little more than a series of political stunts that dehumanizes migrants, many of which are seeking refuge from unsafe environments. Considering that funds are being spent outside Governor Desantis’s own state of Florida, in Texas, it is clear that these policies are motivated by a lack of care for the wellbeing of migrants. Migrants are consistently misled, told they will be receiving resources that are never given, and many are unaware of where exactly they are being sent. As policies similar to Desantis’ continue to spread – including to Texas as Governor Greg Abbot has sent at least 12 buses of migrants from Texas to Los Angeles between June and September 2023 – it does not appear that this tool for immigration “control” will be stopping anytime soon.

The views expressed in this publication are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Rice Journal of Public Policy, its staff, or its Editorial Board.

Photo by Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette/The Associated Press