OAN’s James Meyers
2:02 PM – Tuesday, April 23, 2024
A majority of the migrants that were shipped off to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 18 months ago are now legally allowed to work in the United States, because they’re considered victims of a crime, according to their attorney.
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The shipped off migrants applied last year for a special type of visa designated for crime victims, known as a U-visa, after they claimed they were tricked into boarding charter flights from San Antonio, Texas, to Massachusetts, with false promises of jobs and housing.
Additionally, at least three of the 49 migrants involved in the flight deportation by DeSantis (R-Fla.) in 2022, received “bona fide determinations” for their U-visa applications this week, their immigrant attorney, Rachel Self, told the Boston Globe.
According to Self, this means they can now find jobs and can not be deported while they wait for their visa to come through. They can also apply for a Green Card after having a U-visa for three years, which can lead to permanent lawful status in the United States.
The latest developments come after a sheriff in Bexar County, Texas, launched a criminal probe in late 2022 after DeSantis took credit for the two taxpayer-funded migrant flights that landed in Martha’s Vineyard after it briefly stopped in Florida.
Sheriff Javier Salazar, an elected Democrat, was critical of the flights that originally took off in his city, claiming that the migrants were victims of crimes being committed by DeSantis. Salazar claimed that they were allegedly “exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip” as part of a political stunt.
“Immigrants have been more than willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned, homeless, and ‘left to fend for themselves,’” a DeSantis representative said at the time.
“Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected.”
However, the migrants were able to apply for the U-visas after the sheriff confirmed they were assisting with his law enforcement probe.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U-visa is specifically set aside for “victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.”
Meanwhile, Congress only allows the federal government to issue 10,000 U-visas per year.
“These determinations are one step closer to justice,” said Self. “[They] further underscore that anyone who knows all the facts … simply cannot ignore the criminality of the actors.”
For now, there have been no updates to the Bexar County investigation since last year, despite the sheriff calling for the district attorney felony misdemeanor charges against the pilots who operated the flights.
The Bexar County DA has not filed any of the charges that have been called for by the sheriff.
“The Bexar County DA’s inaction in this matter is concerning and cannot be understated,” Self said. “Crickets from the DA’s office. Why?”
In a separate ruling, a federal judge in Boston ruled this month that the migrants involved in the Martha’s Vineyard flights can sue the charter flight company, Vertol Systems Co., which transported them to the island.
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