TAMPA, Fla. — Opinions of Governor Ron Desantis chartering a plane of Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard are split in Tampa Bay.
Adriana Rivera is the Communications Director for Florida Immigrant Coalition, and she said the news of the flight was heartbreaking.
"If you think that this is wrong in the pit of your stomach, it's because it is," she said.
Rivera said the last couple of days has been a whirlwind of emotions. On Wednesday, Governor DeSantis flew two planes of Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard.
Rivera said the governor's move was nothing more than a political stunt.
"What's funny is that he didn't have the time to alert the authorities in Martha's Vineyard that these people were going to be arriving there and would need help and support. However, he did have time to talk to Fox News and get the message out. So this is completely political," she said.
But she said the people she works with every day have been affected.
"Many immigrants are scared today more than they were two days ago. It's just cruel," she said.
Governor DeSantis defended his decision in Daytona Beach Friday.
"These are voluntary transportation that they're signing up for. They're given a good ride. They're given everything and that's just you know, it's a humane thing to do. What's not humane is what Biden is doing. He's given a false promise the borders open, luring people to come here for political purposes, and then basically cutting these people loose and leaving them high and dry," the governor said.
DeSantis claims the migrants were given a release form, which included a map of Martha's Vineyard. He said it was clear to the migrants where they were going. He sent some of the Florida National Guard to the Texas border last summer. DeSantis said since then, they've seen a great interest of migrants wanting to come to Florida.
"What we're trying to do is profile, okay, who do you think is going to try to get to Florida, and if they get in a car with two other people, there's no way we're going to be able to detect that. So you're trying to identify who's most likely to come. And then obviously, if they end up coming to Florida, then that's going to impose a lot of costs on the communities. And so we're trying to avoid that. So that's how you're doing it," he said.
ABC News reported DeSantis' Administration paid $615,000 for the plane less than a week before it took off with 50 migrants headed to Martha's Vineyard. Florida's Department of Transportation listed the money as part of the "Relocation Program of Unauthorized Aliens," which was allocated $12 million from this year’s state budget.
Governor DeSantis said this won't be the last flight he secures for migrants.
"I got $12 million for us to use and so we're going to use it. You're going to see more and more and I'm going to make sure we exhaust those funds," he added.
That comes as good news to Venezuelan-born Floridian Norma Reno.
"It's not a matter that the governor did something wrong. No, it's a matter of justice, social justice," she said.
Reno even made the trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss immigration with Senator Rick Scott.
"We want to see an immigration that really works and cares about the people. We want to see the laws enforced. Not somebody waiting for people to go ahead and go without checking them. We need to know who is coming to this country," she said.
Reno said she feels Tampa and Florida are too crowded and unable to appropriately care for them.
"I've received many, many calls every day, from Catholic Charities from all these places. 'Norma, we have a Venezuelan family here. We have two Venezuelan families. How can you help? How much can you help?' Is the city willing to spend the money taking care of these people? No, nobody's going to touch their pockets to help these people. Then why do they bring them here? Why we have hundreds of cities that are willing to take them that have laws against immigration touching people with no illegal immigration status?" she said.
Her conversation with Scott focused on what the United States can do instead to alleviate immigration.
"Why don't we help those countries so they can get rid of those governments, no regimes So people can go back to their country and have a life like they used to? That's the way I believe immigration is going to be controlled in the United States," she said.
While the governor said his focus is on sending current migrants to sanctuary states.
"All we're trying to do is offer transport to sanctuary jurisdictions, free to the to the alien, but certainly not mandatory. And that way they're able to go and these sanctuary jurisdictions can put their money where their mouth is. They can provide the resources they can do all of that and then once that happens, the chance of folks coming to Florida is probably very, very low."
But Florida litigator Ralph Fernandez said denying asylum seekers is illegal.
"I'm perplexed by this decision. It's not a religiously based position. It's not morally based, it's not legally based. And there should be investigations and prosecutions," he said.
He said Venezuelans qualify for asylum. Asylum seekers can apply at a port of entry in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Migrants seeking asylum are escaping persecution in their home country. States are federally required to consider asylum applications under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.
Rivera said she's working with her team right now to protect immigrants in Florida.
"We're trying to figure out as a nonprofit where our resources can be used best, whether it's in the community or whether it's advocating in the legislature or with the governor himself," she said.
