In a twist of fate bound to infuriate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the migrants he had flown to Martha’s Vineyard are now on track for special visas that will allow them to stay in the U.S.
Forty-nine people were lured into boarding flights from Texas to the Massachusetts vacation island last month in a Republican political stunt devised by DeSantis.
Bexar County Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar announced Thursday that he has filed federal paperwork to have the migrants certified as victims (or witnesses) of a crime, The Texas Tribune reported. That qualifies them to obtain a special U visa that allows them to stay in the country — and often leads to a coveted permanent resident green card.
Salazar has already launched a criminal investigation into the operation and said giving the migrants a new visa status will “ensure the migrants’ availability as witnesses during the investigation” and any subsequent trial.
“Based upon the claims of migrants being transported from Bexar County under false pretenses, we are investigating this case as possible Unlawful Restraint,” Salazar told Boston Public Radio station WGBH.
The migrants said they were lured into boarding charter flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard by a woman since identified as an Army veteran who reportedly promised them jobs, housing and education if they went to Massachusetts.
Attorneys are already working with a number of the victims.
“We are grateful for Sheriff Salazar’s recognition of the gravity of these events. These certifications are an acknowledgment of the wrongs done to our clients and a crucial step in helping them to chart their path forward,” Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement. The organization is currently representing nine of the migrants.
“Immigrants are human beings, not political props,” she added.
DeSantis’ office has yet to comment on the development.
The governor is already the target of lawsuits. The Treasury Department inspector general’s office is looking into whether DeSantis “improperly used” money linked to COVID-19 aid to fund the flights from Texas to the Massachusetts island, Politico reported on Wednesday.
