DeSantis Might Send Haitian Migrants to Martha's Vineyard
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday in an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch hinted he might send Haitian migrants, who are fleeing to his state illegally because of the island's gang crisis, to Martha’s Vineyard....
Facts
- Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday in an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch hinted he might send Haitian migrants, who are fleeing to his state illegally because of the island's gang crisis, to Martha’s Vineyard.1
- Previously, DeSantis last week announced the deployment of additional security and surveillance personnel to the Florida Keys in anticipation of an influx of migrants from Haiti. He said in his interview that it’s easier to return them home if they’re apprehended at sea.2
- In recent years, DeSantis and other Republican governors sent groups of migrants who arrived illegally to liberal-leaning states, including Massachusetts, New York, and California, after thousands entered Southern states from Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico.3
- Since Florida is roughly 850 miles (1367 km) from Haiti, many migrants are attempting to flee by boat, and aid groups say nearly 1.4M Haitians are near starving. On Friday, Florida law enforcement intercepted a boat carrying dozens of migrants with firearms and drugs.4
- Criminal gangs have seized power over much of Haiti, prompting Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce his resignation last week. Henry has been unable to re-enter Haiti for weeks because gangs have shut down airports.5
Sources: 1Forbes, 2Newsmax, 3The Telegraph, 4FOX News and 5CBS.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Valuetainment. DeSantis has an obligation to protect his state, and although it's tragic that Haiti has descended into chaos, the US has no obligation to accept thousands of people. If the federal government won't allow Florida to return migrants who enter the US illegally home, then DeSantis has no choice but to send them to the Democrat-run states that are actively inviting this mass migration.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. DeSantis is showing he lacks basic human empathy and only cares about scoring political points. These refugees are desperate to get out of crisis-stricken Haiti, yet DeSantis and other Republicans have no worries rejecting them or shipping them farther from home. This is particularly galling considering how many leaders of Florida's Haitian-American community have friends and family stuck in this chaos.
