Martha’s Vineyard: Ron DeSantis’s team lured migrants with $10 McDonald’s gift cards, says lawsuit

A new federal lawsuit alleges that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ team lured immigrants with $10 McDonald’s gift certificates to win their trust by flying them from Texas Part of the “Project” to Martha’s Vineyard.

The lawsuit was brought by the Boston Civil Rights Lawyers group on behalf of a class of affected immigrants, including those stranded on Martha’s Vineyard, and Alianza Americas, a network of immigrant-led organizations that support immigrants.

Federal class-action lawsuit alleges that unnamed individuals working with governor identified and targeted immigrants by “trolling the streets outside immigrant shelters in San Antonio, Texas,” “pretending to be well-meaning people and providing humanitarian aid” “.

After the gift certificates are offered, immigrants will also receive educational opportunities and other assistance if they board a plane to another state, the lawsuit added.

Last week, Mr. DeSantis and his Texas Gov. Greg Abbott flew migrants and buses to the free state to make a political statement about the “historic” crisis at the U.S. border.

The move was slammed by the White House as “illegal” and a political stunt.

The class-action lawsuit includes Florida Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation and five unnamed “Doe” defendants as well as Mr. DeSantis.

Some migrants who were transported earlier said they thought they were heading to Boston to pick up work papers.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement Monday that his office was investigating whether the immigrants were victims of crime.

“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into immigrants who were lured from an Immigrant Resource Center in Bexar County, Texas and flown to Florida, who were ultimately left to fend for themselves on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts,” the statement said. .

In a statement released Tuesday night, Mr. DeSantis’ spokesman, Taryn Fenske, slammed activists who help immigrants with their cases.

“If these activists spend even a fraction of this time and energy at the border, perhaps some of the blame lies with the Biden administration’s reckless border policies that lure illegal immigrants into making dangerous and often deadly trips across Central America. , and put their lives in the hands of cartels and coyotes,” she said.

Mr. DeSantis has yet to make a statement about the lawsuit.