2 Massachusetts lawmakers ask Justice Department to investigate movement of migrants to Martha's Vineyard
MARTHA'S VINEYARD - Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr and State Representative Dylan Fernandes have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for an immediate investigation into anyone who was involved in bringing migrants to Martha's Vineyard.
The letter says they believe the migrants were "misled and had their rights violated" when they were sent to the Vineyard last week by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
"No one we spoke with knew they were being flown to Martha's Vineyard," the letter said. Additionally, it noted that most of the migrants had begun the process of seeking asylum. "To our understanding, they were not in violation of federal immigration law," Cyr and Fernandes wrote.
Some are now staying at Joint Base Cape Cod while others have been reunited with family in different states.
A group of Venezuelan migrants on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in federal court against DeSantis and other Florida officials who took credit for flying them to the Vineyard, alleging that they were lured onto flights through gifts and false offers of jobs and services.
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins received a copy of the letter.
