EDGARTOWN — Republican governors are escalating their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to strongholds for Democrats, including a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the home of Vice President Kamala Harris, taunting leaders of immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” cities and highlighting their opposition to Biden administration policies.
The governors of Texas and Arizona have sent thousands of migrants on buses to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., in recent months, but the latest surprise moves — which included two flights to Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday paid for by Florida — were derided by critics as inhumane political theater.
Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying that her office and Amherst Town Hall received anonymous phone calls from someone claiming to represent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The person said that “buses were on the way to our respective communities containing individuals they described as ‘migrants.’ The caller indicated that our communities were identified based on our designation as sanctuary cities,” Sciarra said.
If the person is associated with Abbott, as he said, it would be unusual for the governor to warn the communities ahead of time. Sciarra said the caller used a blocked number.
Northampton and Amherst officials “are unable to substantiate” the caller’s claims, but in preparation for a potential influx of migrants, local leaders are partnering with state and federal agencies, as well as human services and immigrant advocacy organizations, “to plan for this eventuality,” Sciarra wrote.
Upon their arrival in Martha’s Vineyard, where former President Barack Obama has a home, migrants who were predominantly from Venezuela were provided with meals, shelter, health care and information about where to find work.
“We are a community that comes together to support immigrants,” said state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who represents the vacation island south of Boston whose year-round residents include many blue-collar workers.
Lawyers for Civil Rights, based in Boston, said it was providing free legal services — and investigating whether Florida’s governor may have violated human trafficking laws if it turns out any migrants were sent against their will or duped into taking the flights.
Domingo Garcia, the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said that some of the migrants sent on buses from Texas to Washington on Thursday were “tricked” — an allegation that AP has not confirmed and that officials in Texas and Arizona have denied.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes to Martha’s Vineyard in what his office said was part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.” The Florida Legislature has earmarked $12 million to transport “unauthorized aliens” out of state.
While DeSantis’ office didn’t elaborate on their legal status, many who cross the border illegally are temporarily shielded from deportation after being freed by U.S. authorities to pursue asylum in immigration court — as allowed under U.S law and international treaty — or released on humanitarian parole.
DeSantis’ office didn’t answer questions about where migrants boarded planes and how they were coaxed into making the trip.
Massachusetts state Sen. Julian Cyr told The Vineyard Gazette that one plane originated in San Antonio, raising questions about whether migrants ever set foot in Florida. Flight tracking data shows a flight originated in San Antonio, stopped in Crestview, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, before landing in Martha’s Vineyard.
Abbott, the Texas governor, announced the arrival of two buses of migrants from Texas early Thursday outside Harris’ residence at the United States Naval Observatory. They carried more than 100 migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela.
“The Biden-Harris administration continues ignoring and denying the historic crisis at our southern border, which has endangered and overwhelmed Texas communities for almost two years,” said Abbott, who has poured billions of taxpayer dollars into making border security a signature issue.
Abbott has bused 7,900 migrants to Washington since April, later sending 2,200 to New York and 300 to Chicago. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has bused more than 1,800 migrants to Washington.
DeSantis appears to be taking the strategy to a new level by using planes and choosing Martha’s Vineyard, whose harbor towns that are home to about 15,000 people are far less prepared than New York or Washington for large influxes of migrants.
President Joe Biden is facing the same challenges that dogged his predecessor, former President Donald Trump: a dysfunctional asylum system in the United States, and economic and social conditions that are prompting people from dozens of countries to flee.
Staff writer Brian Steele contrbuted to this report.