Three of the nearly 50 migrants who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard last week by the state of Florida are suing Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials, alleging they were duped into traveling to an island in the northeast as part of a scheme to benefit the governor’s political career.
The suit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, alleges that DeSantis, Florida’s Transportation Department secretary and others tricked migrants into leaving Texas by offering them McDonald’s gift cards and other items to board the flights, and by promising them assistance and employment. The lawsuit names five other people as defendants, including a man and woman believed by attorneys to have recruited migrants in San Antonio to board the planes.
The plaintiffs include three anonymous Venezuelan migrants and Alianza Americas, a transnational organization that advocates on behalf of immigrants’ rights.
