Attorneys representing the immigrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard nearly two years ago by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis can sue the charter flight company that transported them to the island off the coast of Massachusetts, according to a ruling issued by a federal judge in Boston.
The 50 Venezuelans were sent to Martha’s Vineyard from San Antonio, Texas, and were promised job opportunities and housing.
According to the ruling, the migrants can proceed with their lawsuit against Florida-based Vertol Systems Co., which had agreed to fly them to the island for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An email sent to the company seeking comment after the ruling was issued in the afternoon was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit also names DeSantis, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination before dropping out in January.
The U.S. District Court of Massachusetts said in its ruling that it does not have jurisdiction over DeSantis in this case.
The court, however, concluded that the facts of the case “taken together, support the inference that Vertol and the other defendants specifically targeted the plaintiffs because they were Latino immigrants.”
DeSantis’ administration noted that the court order dismissed the state defendants.
“As we have always said, the flights were conducted legally and were authorized by the Florida Legislature,” said Julia Friedland, DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, in a statement. “We look forward to the next relocation flight of illegal immigrants from Florida and are pleased to draw national attention to the crisis at the southern border.”
The court also said that “unlike ICE agents who legitimately enforce the country’s immigration laws… The Court sees no legitimate purpose in arresting highly vulnerable individuals under false pretenses and publicly inserting them into a divisive national debate.”
Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, called the 77-page ruling a major victory in the Martha’s Vineyard case.
He said in a statement that the ruling sends the message that private companies can be held accountable for aiding rogue state actors in violating the rights of vulnerable immigrants through what he characterized as illegal and fraudulent schemes.
Image: Wflx
