OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis received a standing ovation at a rally in Kansas City, Missouri, after he mentioned that he transported 50 illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
During a rally in Kansas for state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, DeSantis spoke about how he sent two planes full of illegals from Florida to the wealthy liberal-dominated island last week.
“The one place in the country where we see virtually no law and order is at the southern border. And this is a crisis,” DeSantis said. “It’s now getting a little more attention.”
“This is a crisis. It is a crisis. And it’s a manufactured crisis because of Biden’s failed policies,” DeSantis said as the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
DeSantis pointed out, “You’re talking about 50 people. Did they get them employed? Did they get them set up? No. They called out the National Guard and they deported those people off the island the very next day.”
DeSantis voiced his support for Schmidt, telling the crowd, “You have a legislature here that will produce a lot of good legislation. You just need a governor that will sign the legislation. And you guys can make that happen.”
In a Kansas stop on his national blitz, Republican Florida Gov. DeSantis got an ovation from GOP voters days after flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard. https://t.co/LIM3dDGSDI
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 19, 2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gets a standing ovation from GOP voters after flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard: https://t.co/OVACIhluVt pic.twitter.com/aTJsWv1b2g
— Morning Express with Robin Meade (@MorningExp) September 19, 2022
DeSantis suggested last week that he will continue sending more flights full of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard and possibly other locations.
“Now we see, in New York and D.C., they used to beat their chests when Trump was in office, saying they are sanctuary jurisdictions,” DeSantis said.
“Then the minute Texas starts busing there, they get very bent out of shape about it. These are just the beginning efforts. We got an infrastructure in place now. There is going to be a lot more that’s happening,” he added.
Former President Barack Obama and other Democrats who own homes on Martha’s Vineyard have remained silent after Republican governors sent roughly 50 illegal immigrants to the wealthy, liberal island.
Fox News reported that it made several requests to representatives for Obama for comment and did not receive any comment.
“The former president did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether he has considered opening up his sprawling 29-acre estate on Martha’s Vineyard to illegal immigrants who have been sent to the island or maybe in the future,” Fox News reported.
“In addition, Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of prominent public supporters of President Biden who own homes on Martha’s Vineyard but did not receive a response. Those Martha’s Vineyard residents include singer James Taylor, director Spike Lee and comedian David Letterman, who all reportedly have homes on the island,” the outlet added.
Fox News added:
Duke’s County, which comprises 11 islands off the coast of Massachusetts but is 99% represented by residents of Martha’s Vineyard, voted overwhelmingly for President Biden in the 2020 election by a margin of 77.7% to former President Trump’s 20.6%.
Biden carried every town on the island from Aquinnah on the western coast, where he won 87.6% to 9.6%, to the main hub of Edgartown on the eastern coast, where he won 70.6% to 27.5%.
Former President Obama carried Duke’s County by 48 points in 2012 and by 52 points in 2008.
Despite most on the wealthy island supporting and voting overwhelmingly for Democrats, many freaked out when just 50 illegal immigrants arrived late last week.
Some locals on the island called on Obama to use his home to assist the migrants, including novelist Jane Chittick, who suggested Obama doesn’t care about their dilemma.
“I don’t think people like the Obamas with huge estates who live here in the summer will care (about the migrants),” Chittick said. “I would love to see the Obamas open up their huge property and erect tents and look after all these people while they’re being processed.”
The 50 migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard represent less than one-tenth of 1% of the nearly 5 million illegal immigrants believed to have crossed the southern border since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Two days later, the 50 migrants were loaded onto buses to be transported off of Martha’s Vineyard to military housing on the Cape Cod mainland.
Conservatives on social media had a field day with the entire ordeal.
🚨🚨🚨 Leftist hypocrisy: National Guard sent to interdict 50 illegal immigrants who disturbed liberals’ golf games & Chardonnay at Martha’s Vineyard.
Biden does NOTHING to address 4.2 MILLION illegal immigrants who have flooded small towns in Texas.
Biden doesn’t care. https://t.co/j5JhPk4JxJ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 16, 2022
Just 50 illegal immigrants entered Martha's Vineyard, and within 48 hours the wealthy liberal residents rounded them up and shipped them off to a military base.pic.twitter.com/HZKMBQPZt3
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) September 16, 2022
Add 50 illegal aliens and a rich liberal utopia becomes Thunderdome. But they all insist border states eat millions. https://t.co/FfNkuyAbAo
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) September 16, 2022
I've gone to the effort of helping authorities in Martha's Vineyard by locating some of the mansions where the illegal immigrants can stay.
First stop, Obama's $11.75 million estate. pic.twitter.com/McHUmeCrAB
— Ben Kew 🐶 (@ben_kew) September 15, 2022
This oceanside property reportedly belongs to the comedian Bill Murray! pic.twitter.com/FvLbru08Bl
— Ben Kew 🐶 (@ben_kew) September 15, 2022
In 2014, Obama referred to the practice of welcoming immigrants to our shores as something central to the American way of life.
“America is – and always has been – a nation of immigrants,” the former president said at a naturalization ceremony for service members and military spouses. “Throughout our history, immigrants have come to our shores in wave after wave from every corner of the globe. Every one of us, unless we’re Native American, has an ancestor who was born somewhere else. That’s what makes America special. That’s what makes us strong. The basic idea of welcoming immigrants to our shores is central to our way of life. It is in our DNA.“