South Shore-based Father Bill's is helping migrants who were flown to Vineyard

South Shore-based Father Bill's & Mainspring is joining other organizations to help the 48 migrants, including four families, that are being housed at Joint Base Cape Cod after unexpectedly finding themselves on Martha’s Vineyard.

Alisa Magnotta, chief executive officer of the Housing Assistance Corp. in Hyannis, said her staff will work with Father Bill's & MainSpring to help figure out the next steps regarding shelter assistance and permanent housing options. Father Bill's operates a shelter for the homeless in Quincy.

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Magnotta's organization will collect money to relocate people and to find housing as well as money for everyday essentials, she said. The agency is also searching for Spanish-speaking volunteers.  People can sign up to help at hac@capecod.org.

Permanent housing options can be developed once the state evaluates individual family needs, said John Yazwinski, chief executive officer and president of Father Bill's. Migrants may have family in Massachusetts or other parts of the U.S., he said.

Father Bill's is a nonprofit that offers programs that provide emergency and permanent housing and help people obtain skills, jobs, housing and services.

Yazwinski recalled helping displaced people at the base during Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian earthquakes and sending them to other areas where they felt supported.

"Right now, we are trying to listen to them and understand what they need," he said. "Just because they are from another country doesn't mean they don't have connections to people either in Massachusetts or in other parts of the country."

At Joint Base Cape Cod, the migrants will  live in dormitory-style accommodations. Emergency management officials said there are spaces for singles and families, and that families will be kept together.

Besides having a place to sleep, they will be provided with clothing, toiletries and food. They will have access to legal and health care services, as well as mental health and crises counseling services. Interpreters will be on hand to assist with communication.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is working with organizations to provide these services.

On Sunday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that he has activated up to 125 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to help the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The Venezuelans were flown to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday and dropped off at the airport with no notice. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for reelection and is expected to run for president in 2024,  said he wanted to relocate the migrants to liberal-leaning areas amid an effort to pressure President Joe Biden on issues at the U.S./Mexico border.

The migrants were picked up in Texas after crossing the border. They were given shelter in a church on the Vineyard and have since voluntarily moved to Joint Base Cape Cod.

DeSantis used money from the Florida state budget to pay for the flights.

More than 75% of Venezuelans live in extreme poverty, according to reports. The once-prosperous OPEC nation has been in an economic tailspin for years, driving residents north to the U.S. to seek work.

In the first 10 months of fiscal 2022,  Border Patrol encountered or apprehended more than 130,000 Venezuelan nationals, up from more than 50,000 in fiscal 2021.

Meanwhile, lawyers are exploring legal remedies for the Venezuelan migrants.

The group Lawyers for Civil Rights says it's representing more than 30 of the 48 migrants and is calling for a criminal investigation into what it described as a shameful political stunt, WCVB reported.

In letters to U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Lawyers for Civil Rights said their clients were "induced to board airplanes and cross state lines under false pretenses" and that it was "only when the flight was mid-air that they were informed they would be flown to Martha's Vineyard rather than Boston."

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said the ordeal could be considered human trafficking.

"These are major violations of federal law that should be investigated," McGovern said in a statement.

What officials say: Can Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket prepare for more migrants?

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign on Martha’s Vineyard closed on Friday after raising $43,191 to help them.

The people: Venezuelan migrants share their stories before leaving Martha's Vineyard. What they said

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

Recapping what we knew Friday: Migrants move from Martha's Vineyard plus did DeSantis hint flight to donors

A Cape Cod resident shares her story: Venezuelans migrating to the U.S. and now to Martha's Vineyard: 'Out of desperation'

A view from Texas: El Paso struggles to keep up with Venezuelan migrants: 5 key things to know

A political move: Why is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard?

Read more on what Florida governor says: Gov. Ron DeSantis relishes left's response to Florida-funded flights to Martha's Vineyard

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Father Bill's is helping migrants flown to Vineyard