US Migrant Crisis: Ron DeSantis Will Continue Flying Migrants to Democratic Areas After Hurricane Ian Relief Efforts

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be resuming flights of migrants to Democratic-led states after his state is done dealing with Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

New York Post reported that DeSantis' spokeswoman revealed the governor's plan in an email on Saturday. Documents made public on Friday showed that two charter flights to Delaware and Illinois were scheduled to take place before October 3.

However, they were postponed after Hurricane Ian struck Florida late last month. DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske told The Associated Press that the immigration relocation program remains active while the state addresses the effects of Hurricane Ian.

The state had reportedly paid around $1 million to arrange the two charter flights to Delaware and Illinois. The planned flights will transport about 100 migrants to the two states.

Memos released by the state Department of Transportation noted that the contractor hired by Florida later extended the window for the trips until December 1.

Migrants' Flights After Hurricane Ian in Florida

ABC News reported that the charter flights to Illinois and Delaware were follow-up flights from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. The flight transported 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the island. Martha's Vineyard officials said they were not told in advance that the migrants were coming to their state.

Before the flights were suspended, flight contractor Vertol Systems Company wrote Florida's Department of Transportation that they would fly 50 people to Delaware and 50 people to Illinois between September 19 and October 3.

Local officials in Delaware reportedly started preparations last month for a Vertol flight from Texas with a stop in Crestview, Florida, to Georgetown, Delaware. According to Forbes, it was then canceled after a Texas sheriff launched a criminal investigation into the program.

Vertol CEO James Montgomerie said in the letter to the state's Transportation Department that the estimated two flights to Delaware and Illinois could cost $950,000. Ron DeSantis started the charter flights of migrants to Martha's Vineyard on September 14.

Last week, officials of Nantucket, Massachusetts issued an alert after airport authorities learned a Vertol subcontractor was set to arrive on the resort island. It turned out to be a false alarm, with the flight carrying business people instead.

Florida Migrants' Flights to Martha's Vineyard

Ron DeSantis allotted $12 million to create a program for transporting undocumented migrants out of Florida, touting it as the state's new program when it comes to immigration.

The flight to Martha's Vineyard ensued a series of lawsuits and investigations while Democrats condemned the act. The Treasury Department is probing if DeSantis misused federal COVID-19 pandemic recovery money to send migrants to Massachusetts, WGBH reported.

The probe comes after Senator Ed Markey's office requested the inspector general to pursue the matter. Six other Massachusetts legislators signed the request.

Markey also asked the Transportation Department to assess if consumer protections were violated when the migrants were flown under false pretenses to Massachusetts.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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