DeSantis Dropped From Lawsuit Over Flying Migrants to Martha’s Vineyard

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been dropped from a lawsuit naming him and other parties after he arranged to fly illegal aliens from Texas to the ritzy Massachusetts enclave Martha’s Vineyard in 2022 in order to highlight President Joe Biden’s lax border security policies.

“In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs dropped DeSantis and various past and present staff members from the lawsuit over ‘insufficient facts’ presented in the case,” Fox News reported.

The judge said the court could not “ascertain what actions were taken by whom and therefore cannot determine which, if any, of those individual Defendants transacted business or caused injury here, leaving it no choice but to find that, at least on this record, personal jurisdiction has not been established.”

However, the ruling still leaves open the possibility of legal action against Vertol, the Florida-based company that coordinated the flights for $1.5 million.

Similar to his counterparts in Texas and Arizona, DeSantis began transporting undocumented immigrants to liberal-leaning states in late 2022 to underscore the shortcomings of the Biden administration’s border policies.

Martha’s Vineyard is renowned as a haven for affluent progressives, counting former President Barack Obama among its notable residents who acquired a multimillion-dollar residence there in 2019.

The outlet reported that DeSantis, at the time, mentioned Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard as a destination for migrants, but his office explained then that they could also be sent “to other ‘progressive’ states whose governors endorse blatant violations of federal immigration law.”

“As we’ve always stated, the flights were conducted lawfully and authorized by the Florida legislature,” a spokesperson for DeSantis’ office said. “We look forward to Florida’s next illegal immigration relocation flight, and we are glad to bring national attention to the crisis at the southern border.”

DeSantis has also recently vowed to send Haitian migrants to places like Martha’s Vineyard as the country collapses into chaos.

Last month, DeSantis declared that the state’s law enforcement had stopped a boat that was approaching the Florida coast with several Haitian migrants that was filled with weapons, narcotics, and night vision equipment.

“Our Florida Fish and Wildlife offices interdicted a vessel that had 25 illegal immigrants, potential illegal immigrants from Haiti in their boat. In their vessel, they had firearms, they had drugs, they had night vision gear, and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks,” DeSantis said, adding that the interdiction had occurred “recently” in the last few weeks and was “tragic.”

“That vessel was interdicted near the Sebastian Inlet, and those illegal aliens were turned over to the Coast Guard for deportation,” he said, as noted by Fox News.

DeSantis made the announcement at a press conference where he signed three pieces of new legislation to deal with illegal immigrants.

In response to the unrest in Haiti and the possibility of an increase in migration from the conflict-ridden nation via the sea, the Republican governor also announced in mid-March an increase in the deployment of manpower and aircraft to the Florida coast.

Gangs have taken over the capital, burning police stations and attacking the main airport, resulting in a marked increase in violence in the Caribbean nation. Additionally, gangs have broken into some of the biggest prisons, freeing thousands of prisoners.

According to DeSantis’ office, the deployment in Florida includes 48 more National Guard members with four additional helicopters, 39 more Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers, 30 more Florida Highway Patrol officers with aircraft and drones, and 23 more Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers with eight more seacraft.

“The message is the last thing you should want to do is get on a boat and think you’re going to come through from any of these islands to get to the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “The most likely scenario is you’ll be stopped, and you will be returned to your country of origin.”

“It’s a hazardous journey, it’s not worth doing, and we have the resources to continue to keep the people of Florida safe,” DeSantis added.