Massachusetts called in the National Guard on Friday to deal with the “humanitarian crisis” that locals claim was set off by just 50
migrants being flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
— before the deep-blue state shifted the new arrivals to Cape Cod.
Three buses rolled up to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Edgartown to
take the mostly Venezuelan migrants on the first leg of their journey
from the elite island of multimillion-dollar mansions — including a
seven- bedroom home owned by former President Barack Obama — to Joint
Base Cape Cod on the mainland.
The National Guard members will supplement work already underway by
the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Gov. Charlie Baker’s
office said in a statement.
“Our Administration has been working across state government to
develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the
services they need going forward, and Joint Base Cape Cod is well
equipped to serve these needs,” the governor said.
Baker added that the state emergency agency “is coordinating efforts
among state and local officials to ensure access to food, shelter and essential services for these men, women and children.”
It’s unclear what duties would be performed by the National Guard
members.
Baker said removing the migrants to Cape Cod was necessary because
“the island communities are not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation, and state officials developed a plan to deliver a comprehensive humanitarian response.”
Before getting on the ferry to the mainland, migrant Everlides Dela
Hoz told the Cape Cod Times she had no clue where she being taken, but
was told the location would be safe and equipped with beds.
Hoz added that she and other migrants leaving Martha’s Vineyard were
told they would get help finding work, according to the report.
Baker and DeSantis are both Republicans, but the Florida governor this
week sent two planeloads of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard to show
solidarity with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s longer-running campaign to
bus migrants to Washington, DC, New York City and Chicago in a bid to pressure Democrats into tightening border policies.
Abbott and DeSantis say they are shipping migrants north to help
educate others about the strain experienced by border states.
This year has already seen an all-time record number of illegal border crossings. Fiscal year 2022, which ends Sept. 30, is expected to
record more than 2 million migrant encounters along the US-Mexico
border, an increase from 1.7 million in fiscal 2021, fewer than
500,000 in fiscal 2020 and nearly 1 million in fiscal 2019.
Critics blame President Biden’s border policies and his more welcoming rhetoric to migrants. The Biden administration has relaxed a Trump-era
policy of turning away all illegal border-crossers, citing a CDC
COVID-19 rule, and ended a policy of requiring migrants to remain in
Mexico to await court rulings on their asylum claims.
DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said the flights to Martha’s
Vineyard were “part of the state’s relocation program to transport
illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.”
“States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better
facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into
our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their
designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden
administration’s open border policies,” Fenske said.
Abbott’s efforts to bus migrants to Washington, New York City and
Chicago sparked panic and anger among local mayors. Democratic DC
Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a “state of emergency” and Chicago’s
Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot allegedly put migrants back on a bus —
to a Republican-leaning suburb.
On Thursday, Abbott’s administration delivered 101 migrants to Vice
President Kamala Harris’ official residence in Washington, saying,
“We’re sending migrants to her backyard to call on the Biden
Administration to do its job & secure the border.”
Biden tapped Harris last year to lead efforts to address the “root
causes” of migration, but the crisis at the border instead worsened.
Biden on Thursday night slammed Abbott and DeSantis, telling a
Hispanic Heritage Month gala in DC that his administration has “a
process in place to manage migrants.”
“Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as
props. What they’re doing is simply wrong, it’s un-American, it’s
reckless,” Biden said. “And we have a process in place to manage
migrants at the border. We’re working to make sure it’s safe and
orderly and humane.”
Biden added, “Republican officials should not interfere with that
process by waging these political stunts. It’s long overdue for Senate Republicans to come to the table to provide a pathway to citizenship
for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farmworkers and essential
workers. We need to modernize our laws so businesses get workers they
need and families don’t have to wait decades to be brought back
together. It’s time to get it done. That’s why we have to win this
off-year election.”
https://nypost.com/2022/09/16/marthas-vineyard-migrants-sent-to-cape-co
d- mass-calls-national-guard/
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