Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' office responded to the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by immigration lawyers and activists by showing the migrants signed consent forms.
The lawsuit claims the flights were "a premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme centered on exploiting [the migrants] for the sole purpose of advancing their own personal, financial and political interests."
"It is opportunistic that activists would use illegal immigrants for political theater. If these activists spent even a fraction of this time and effort at the border, perhaps some accountability would be brought to the Biden Administration’s reckless border policies that entice illegal immigrants to make dangerous and often lethal journeys through Central America and put their lives in the hands of cartels and Coyotes," said DeSantis' office on Tuesday.
"The transportation of the immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard was done on a voluntary basis. The immigrants were homeless, hungry, and abandoned – and these activists didn’t care about them then," the statement continued. "Florida’s program gave them a fresh start in a sanctuary state and these individuals opted to take advantage of chartered flights to Massachusetts. It was disappointing that Martha’s Vineyard called in the Massachusetts National Guard to bus them away from the island within 48 hours."
Townhall was provided with a photo of a consent form showing the information given to the person who signed it was in English and Spanish. The person then wrote they would be leaving Texas and arriving in Massachusetts, highlighting the fact the migrants knew they would be taken to that state.
FL Gov. DeSantis’ office responds to the class action lawsuit that was filed in Massachusetts: “The immigrants were homeless, hungry, and abandoned – and these activists didn’t care about them then.”
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 20, 2022
Office also provided the consent form for flight to MA: pic.twitter.com/r4ZpX3kHbz
Democrats and progressives have accused DeSantis of everything from kidnapping to human trafficking with his relocation program. Around $12 million was allocated in the state's budget to carry out the program.