OAN’s James Myers
2:02 PM – Tuesday, April 23, 2024
The vast majority of immigrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 18 months ago are now considered victims of crime and cannot legally work in the U.S., according to their lawyers. It is said that this is allowed.
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The deported migrants claimed they were tricked into boarding a chartered flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Massachusetts last year with false promises of jobs and housing, and were granted a special type of crime-victim visa known as a U visa. I applied for a visa. .
Additionally, at least three of the 49 immigrants involved in the 2022 deportation by DeSantis (R-Fla.) received “adequate decisions” on their U visa applications this week, immigration attorney Rachel Self said. boston globe.
Self said this means they can find work and not be deported while waiting for a visa. After obtaining a three-year U visa, they can apply for a green card, which could also give them permanent legal status in the United States.
The latest development comes in late 2022, when the sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, filed a criminal complaint after DeSantis took credit for two taxpayer-funded migrant flights that landed on Martha’s Vineyard after stopping briefly in Florida. This happened after the investigation began.
Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, argued that the migrants were victims of crimes committed by DeSantis and criticized the plane that first took off from his city. Salazar claimed they were “used and tricked into making this trip” as part of a political stunt.
“Immigrants are willing to leave Bexar County after being abandoned, homeless and left ‘to fend for themselves,'” a DeSantis representative said at the time.
“Florida has given them the opportunity to seek greener pastures within protected areas that provide them with more resources, just as we had hoped.”
However, the migrants were able to apply for U visas after the sheriff confirmed that they were cooperating with law enforcement investigations.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U visas are specifically reserved for “victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who assist law enforcement or government officials in investigating or prosecuting criminal activity.” It is said that there is
Meanwhile, Congress only authorizes the federal government to issue 10,000 U visas a year.
“This resolution brings us one step closer to justice,” Self said. “[They] To further emphasize, no one knowing all the facts can ignore the criminality of the actors. ”
So far, there are no updates on the Bexar County investigation since last year, even though the sheriff’s office is seeking felony charges from the district attorney against the pilot who was operating the plane.
The Bexar County Attorney’s Office has not filed any charges sought by the sheriff.
“The Bexar County Attorney’s Office’s inaction in this matter is alarming and cannot be taken lightly,” Self said. “This is a cricket from the DA’s office. Why?”
In a separate ruling this month, a federal judge in Boston ruled that migrants involved in the Martha’s Vineyard flight can sue Bartle Systems, the charter company that transported them to the island.
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