Criminal investigation proves beneficial to 49 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard last year

SAN ANTONIO – Exactly 365 days in the past, 49 migrants have been flown to Martha’s Vineyard from San Antonio.

Muzzafar Chishti, a senior fellow on the Migration Policy Institute, mentioned the ones 49 other people have been scattered to other army installations after arriving at Martha’s Vineyard, however all have most commonly stayed in Massachusetts.

On September 14, public data requests have been made by means of The League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, and more than a few media retailers to be told who used to be in the back of the operation to fly migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

The subsequent day, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis, took credit for transporting the migrants — an effort Muzaffar Chishti mentioned used to be obviously executed with a political reason.

“I think he was using it for his own Florida domestic consumption that he could do something like this and more importantly, he did this with state money,” mentioned Chishti.

Chishti mentioned there’s all the time been an extended historical past of rivalry between the government and the states as to who has what sort of limits on immigration authority, however by no means a state as opposed to some other.

“We have never had states going after states in the fight for the role of immigration in our federal structure. This is pretty unique,” mentioned Chishti.

It’s a novel motion that has ended in an ironic result. (*49*) used to be noticed as a merciless political transfer, Chishti mentioned, used to be a blessing in cover in a couple of manner.

“One is that they came to Martha’s Vineyard, which is a rich community, which has a lot of volunteers who came to help them,” mentioned Chishti.

And the opposite is they’re in a pleasant immigration tradition jurisdiction.

“The chances of getting an asylum in Boston are much higher than chances of getting asylum in Florida or Texas,” mentioned Chishti.

And in spite of everything, what Chishti mentioned has helped the 49 migrants probably the most is a prison investigation introduced by means of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office that makes those migrants doubtlessly eligible for a U visa — a visa given by means of the government to sufferers of crime.

“Which allows you to eventually apply for permanent residence if you are supporting a law enforcement agency in a criminal investigation,” mentioned Chishti.

Whether the prison investigation is a hit or no longer, Chishti mentioned it doesn’t subject so long as the testimony of any of those 49 other people helps the case and that gives the foundation for other people to observe for a visa.

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