AR162

An Assembly Resolution condemning the Governor of Florida for actions related to the trafficking of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

Whereas, For generations people have migrated to the United States to seek the protection of asylum; and

Whereas, On September 14, 2022 two privately chartered planes of 50 documented asylees arrived on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, unbeknownst to any authorities or humanitarian organizations; and

Whereas, Upon landing, the only information the passengers had were crude maps regarding their whereabouts, and telephone numbers to their handlers that went unanswered; and

Whereas, Shortly thereafter, a spokesperson for the Governor of Florida, Ronald DeSantis, sent statements to multiple news outlets taking credit for their relocation from Texas where they had filed their asylum claims; and

Whereas, According to news reports, five individuals were contracted by Florida’s governor to identify asylum seekers in Texas, entice them with gift cards for food and promises of employment, schooling and a better life in Boston or Washington, D.C.; and

Whereas, The contracted individuals held the asylees in hotel rooms until they gathered enough people to fill the flights that ultimately landed in Martha’s Vineyard, an island 90 miles away from Boston; and

Whereas, Florida governor, Ronald DeSantis, challenged federal authority, circumventing the federal government’s exclusive authority over immigration by orchestrating a multi-state scheme outside the state of Florida; and

Whereas, The entire undertaking is uncannily comparable to the political spectacle of the “Reverse Freedom Rides” of the Civil Rights Era when segregationists baited the most vulnerable of southern African Americans onto buses destined for Hyannis, Massachusetts, with promises of nonexistent jobs, and in some cases a false presidential welcome, all in an effort to embarrass their political opponents; and

Whereas, More disturbing is the similarity of the Florida governor’s actions to those of human traffickers; and

Whereas, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines human trafficking or trafficking in persons as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor and identifies the tactics of manipulation, and specifically “using false promises of well-paying jobs” to lure victims into human trafficking; and

Whereas, The Governor of Florida used all the aforementioned maneuvers for the labor of his political stunt; and

Whereas, DHS further warns that traffickers will seek people who are psychologically or emotionally vulnerable, experiencing economic hardship, lack a social safety net, are victims of natural disasters or political instability as their targets; and

Whereas, The 50 migrants targeted by Governor DeSantis have identified themselves as falling into this category in their asylum claims; and

Whereas, The Governor of Florida superseded his authority by meddling in affairs of federal jurisdiction for political distinction; furthermore, he pledges to continue this scheme until all available funds are depleted; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey condemns Governor Ronald DeSantis of Florida for his coordinated deception and exploitation of migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the members United States Senate Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation and Operations; the United States Senate Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management; and the Governor of Florida.

STATEMENT

This resolution condemns the actions of Governor Ron DeSantis that led to the events on September 14, 2022 when 50 documented asylees were relocated via private chartered plane from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard with no alert to local authorities or aid organizations.

Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida, financed the enticement and transport of migrants awaiting asylum hearings in Texas onto planes bound for Massachusetts. The destination, unbeknownst to the passengers, was desolate and chosen in an effort to embarrass the labors of his political opponents regarding immigration. Governor DeSantis took credit for the operation soon after their arrival. He exploited people fleeing tyranny to demonstrate his own political dexterity.

Disturbing similarities exist between the governor’s actions and those of human traffickers, as defined by Department of Homeland Security. Orchestrating a multi-state scheme to identify, entice, hold, and transport vulnerable people with false promises of a better life, only to abandon them in an isolated area outside of their jurisdiction is not the job of any governor. The federal government has sole dominion over the process of immigration, a fact not lost on the governor.

Deception was employed both in luring asylees onto private flights, and in financing the enterprise with Florida state taxpayer dollars. The General Assembly of New Jersey condemns Governor DeSantis for this usage of people, namely his constituents and migrants, in an effort to elevate his political profile.