Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the “next stop” for Haitian migrants entering his state may be Martha’s Vineyard.
DeSantis deployed 250 Florida State Guard troops and law enforcement officers to protect against a potential influx of illegal Haitian migrants amid ongoing chaos in Haiti following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The Florida governor told radio host Dana Loesch that he cannot send Haitian migrants back to their own country, so he may send them to Martha’s Vineyard instead.
🚨 BREAKING🚨
“Haitians land in Florida Keys, their next stop very well be Martha’s Vineyard” ~ @RonDeSantis
Podcast: https://t.co/HHFoIyoQxb pic.twitter.com/1xMvrWmKtg
— The Dana Show (@DanaLoeschRadio) March 19, 2024
“The problem when you get to a situation like Florida is if they have people in our state and we wanted to fly them, say, back to Haiti, you have to get clearance to be able to do that. If you wanted to fly somebody to a South American country, wherever they’re from, it becomes a little bit more difficult because the federal government’s gonna tell the host countries not to accept our planes,” DeSantis said. “So we’ve gone through these uttering of what can we do as states.”
“I definitely think we can help put them back over the border if they come across in Texas and Arizona,” he continued. “So I’d be willing to help do that. I think that the states really have no other choice to do that at that point. It’s a little bit different for a maritime state like us. That’s why we’ve really got to get them before they reach the shores, and that’s why we’re working so hard to do that.” (RELATED: Laken Riley’s Father Speaks Out For The First Time, Accuses Biden Of Using His Daughter)
“Although I will say this,” DeSantis added. “We do have our transport program, also, that’s going to be operational. So, uh, Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard.
DeSantis previously flew illegal migrants from his state to Martha’s Vineyard in Sept. 2022. Several illegal migrants from the flights remained on the Massachusetts island months after their arrival, with some who stayed expressing their enjoyment of the location in June 2023.
DeSantis said on Friday that Florida’s law enforcement intercepted a boat occupied by potential Haitian migrants with weapons and narcotics. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers stopped the vessel, which was moving in a manner considered to be a potential danger, the governor noted.