Venezuelan migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard begin resettling in U.S.
BOURNE - Lawmakers representing Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket say the roughly 50 migrants who arrived on a surprise flight to Martha's Vineyard are beginning to receive resources to settle in the U.S.
The migrants are now being housed at Joint Base Cape Cod with amenities such as a cafeteria, bunk beds, and a lounge area.
"Everyone we talked to expressed how grateful they are, that they're happy in the place right now, that they're really well served," said State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, after touring the facility on Monday.
Fernandes and State Senator Julian Cyr told reporters the group is receiving housing advice, behavioral health services, and medical care. There is also a discussion with Bourne Public Schools to potentially enroll some of the migrant children there.
Fernandes and Cyr say two of the migrant families have family in New York and are headed there as soon as Monday.
"Every single individual or family unit has met with attorneys," Cyr said. "Every single one of these individuals has been processed by federal immigration authorities. They have an alien number."
The migrants' care and travel are being paid for by the state and charitable donations, Cyr and Fernandes said.
Both lawmakers are also calling on the Department of Justice to investigate how the migrants got to Martha's Vineyard. Over the weekend, some civil rights attorneys sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins saying that the migrants were induced to get on the planes under false pretenses.
"I think there are real legal implications here around human trafficking, around fraud at a bare minimum, depravation of liberty, kidnapping. I spoke with one person today who when they first boarded the plane was told they were going to Washington, D.C. You can't do that," Fernandes said.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Maura Healey's office released a statement saying that it will evaluate all legal options. A spokesperson for Rollins said her office is not commenting at this time.
