The Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by the state of Florida last month are one step closer to staying in the United States — because Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has questioned their right to remain here legally, made them the victims of a potential crime, their attorney says.
The 48 migrants say they were tricked into taking charter flights from San Antonio to the Massachusetts island with false promises of jobs and other aid, part of a taxpayer-funded operation DeSantis said he set up to draw attention to the border crisis. The Sheriff of Bexar County, which covers San Antonio, quickly opened a criminal investigation.
Now, the sheriff has granted each migrant a certification allowing them to apply for a special kind of visa meant for crime victims who are helping law enforcement, according to Rachel Self, an attorney for the migrants. Those applying for the visa cannot be sent back to their homelands until their immigration cases are settled — which can take as long as six or seven years, Self said in a statement.
