Massachusetts, Florida and Texas politicians react to migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard

Political reactions to two charter flights flying about 50 migrants from Texas and Florida to Martha's Vineyard has been swift from both the right and the left.

Venezuelan-American leaders in Florida denounced the “flights of asylum seekers” to Martha’s Vineyard, blasting Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez.

“Venezuelan leaders are rightfully outraged,” said a joint statement of five Venezuelan-American groups on Wednesday night. They held a news conference Thursday morning in South Florida.

“I am a mother who fled from a narco-dictatorship. The DeSantis-Nuñez administration likes to claim that they protect children, but what do they call this cruel treatment?" Yaneth Galvis, a Venezuelan activist with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, stated. "Venezuelans come to Florida because this is where they have their families and support networks. We ask you to have humanity and not use us as political tokens. We came to work and contribute to this country.”

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Lincoln Project co-founder took to Twitter to compare DeSantis to a human trafficker

Rick Wilson tweeted, "A friend points out @RonDeSantisFL flew two planeloads of illegal migrants from Venezuela to Martha's Vineyard without coordinating with DHS or INS... Does that make him a coyote? I mean, I'm no lawyer, but 8 USC 1342 ii..." alluding to laws that govern the transport of migrants.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's reaction

“On behalf of the Commonwealth, I thank everyone on the ground who quickly came together to provide assistance on the Vineyard. The Commonwealth has many resources for assisting individuals that arrive in Massachusetts with varying immigration statuses and needs and is working with all partners involved to make sure those resources are available to the migrants that arrived last night. In addition, the Baker-Polito Administration is exploring setting up temporary shelter and humanitarian services at Joint Base Cape Cod and will share additional information as soon as it becomes available.”

– Governor Charlie Baker

What we know: 50 migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, DeSantis takes credit

Texas Senator Ted Cruz praises Ron DeSantis

"Kudos to @GovRonDeSantis ⁩ for sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted.

He included a quote from a Martha's Vineyard Times story: County commissioner Keith Chatinover: “I would LOVE Martha’s Vineyard to become a haven for new immigrants to this country, but Senator Cruz HAS NO IDEA what he’s talking about regarding a ‘border crisis.’…Immigrants make our country stronger (as evidenced by immigration from Brazil and other countries to the Vineyard)…”

Congressman Bill Keating reacts as migrants are flown to Cape Cod

Massachusetts Congressman Bill Keating expressed his views in a long Twitter thread on Wednesday night starting with, "History does not look kindly on leaders who treat human beings like cargo, loading them up and sending them a thousand miles away without telling them their destination."

"Instead of working to find assistance for a group of refugees, @GovRonDeSantis chose to turn human beings into political pawns."

Rhode Island's Republican candidate for Governor Ashley Kalus' reactions

When asked who her favorite politician is, living or dead, the Republican nominee for Rhide Island Governor, Ashley Kalus said Ron DeSantis of Florida. We asked her about what he orchestrated in Martha's Vineyard.

Kalus said, “Like many Rhode Islanders, my family traces our lives in the United States to a welcoming, fair, legal immigration system. I have benefited immensely from the opportunities given to me by this country. I strongly believe, that as in all matters of the public debate, immigration is about balance. While this is largely a federal matter, I believe that our elected leaders must ensure we remain a welcoming nation of opportunity. At the same time, protecting the public safety is the most important job of the governor. We must ensure our borders are secure and our communities are safe. In my view, immigration is what makes America strong, innovative, and prosperous. We are the greatest country in the world. We have a duty to get this balance right.”

An island off Cape Cod: What you need to know about Martha's Vineyard

MA Senator Elizabeth Warran reacts to migrants being flown to Martha's Vineyard

"Exploiting vulnerable people for political stunts is repulsive and cruel," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted. "Massachusetts is fully capable of handling asylum seekers, and I'll keep working with local, state, and federal partners to ensure we have the necessary resources to care for people with dignity."

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis' view on DeSantis

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis defended Gov. Ron DeSantis for sending migrants to Massachusetts and slammed critics of the governor’s controversial decision.

“Shame on the empty-headed pundits who now want to score cheap points by saying this relocation program, done by the state and in accordance with federal law, is ‘human trafficking’,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “They simply don’t want to look at the truth - the lack of any real federal immigration policy leaves us at the state level to do what we can with what we have.”

“Biden has done nothing. I applaud Governor DeSantis for stepping up to the plate,” he said.

101 on the Florida governor: Why is Florida Gov. Ron Desantis sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard?

Florida Republican James Judge's view on DeSantis

One Florida Republican congressional candidate condemned both DeSantis and Democrats for using the immigration issue to “score political points” with voters.

James Judge, who is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor in Tampa, said politicizing people in need of help “is not only un-Christian, it’s un-American.”

“Using human beings who are fleeing socialism, including women and children, for political gain, is absolutely disgusting and the furthest thing from being Christ-like that I can imagine,” he said Thursday. “For someone who talks about putting on the full armor of God, I think our governor got this one tremendously wrong.”

He said his congressional opponent, along with Democrats “demonize” those law enforcement officers trying to enforce border security and immigration laws. “Castor, (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi and Biden’s policies are inhumanely ushering in illegal immigrants, which inadvertently supports organized crime, drug cartels and terrorism while creating a serf-like class of workers,” he said.

“As Christians, we’re called to love our neighbors. And, whether you’re a Christian or not, I think it’s evident that both political parties are significantly failing our citizens and our neighbors. They have become divisive to the point of hatred, and we are at a really ugly place in American history. I believe our society needs to recheck the moral compass and try to do unto others as we would have them do unto us,” he said.

JFK Library tweets out clips from so-called "Reverse Freedom Rides"

"To embarrass Northern liberals and humiliate Black people, southern White Citizens Councils started their so-called 'Reverse Freedom Rides,' giving Black people one-way tickets to northern cities with false promises of jobs, housing, and better lives." The tweet included an image of a newspaper clipping about the practice.

Read more from the JFK Library: Follow information from the library

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Politicians react to Ron Desantis flying migrants to Massachusetts