Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to renew sending migrants to Democratic strongholds as soon as the Sunshine State finishes coping with the devastation attributable to Hurricane Ian, his spokeswoman stated.
Two constitution flights — to Delaware and Illinois — had been scheduled to happen earlier than Oct. 3, in keeping with paperwork made public on Friday.
However they had been postponed after Ian struck late last month, DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske instructed The Related Press.
“Whereas Florida has had all palms on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program stays lively,” Fenske wrote in an e mail Saturday.
DeSantis outraged Democrats when he flew about 50 migrants to Martha’s Winery, Massachusetts, with out warning on Sept. 14.
The island is a well-liked summer season trip spot for left-leaning celebrities and high Democrats, together with former President Barack Obama, who bought an $11.75 million estate on the Edgartown Nice Pond in 2019.
Earlier this yr, the Florida Legislature approved $12 million in spending to relocate individuals who entered the nation illegally from Florida to different places.
Though the flights to Martha’s Winery originated in Texas, they stopped in Florida en route.
The information launched by the Florida Division of Transportation confirmed that DeSantis’ paid Vertol Programs Co. of Destin, Fla., $950,000 to rearrange the follow-up flights.
The corporate even despatched a employee to the state capital of Tallahassee to retrieve a verify for the complete quantity after state officers didn’t get the paperwork wanted to make a direct deposit, in keeping with the paperwork.
Following the postponement, Vetrol prolonged the deadline for the journeys to happen to Dec. 1.
On Sept. 20, the White Home acknowledged it had “obtained phrase” {that a} planeload of migrants despatched by DeSantis was expected to land at an airport close to President Biden’s $2.7 million vacation home in Rehoboth Seashore, Del.
Biden even sarcastically invited DeSantis to “come go to,” including: “We have now an attractive shoreline.”
However the aircraft by no means arrived in Delaware and as an alternative landed in Teterboro, N.J., with none migrants on board.
With Submit wires
