I woke early Thursday at my residence in West Tisbury, one in all six small cities on the island of Martha’s Winery, to seek out deer munching my shrubs, an early fall chill within the air and the disturbing information that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had flown about 50 migrants, principally from Venezuela, to the island’s airport.
Native officers have been notified solely 20 minutes earlier than the migrants arrived. The migrants say they have been informed, falsely, they have been headed to housing and jobs in New York or Boston.
Many have been confused, in response to Edgartown Police Chief Bruce McNamee. “We now have talked to plenty of individuals who’ve requested, ‘The place am I?’ After which I used to be making an attempt to clarify the place Martha’s Winery is.”
It was merciless, in fact. It was deeply cynical. However the disgraceful stunt made for placing political theater. DeSantis is typically described as Donald Trump with a mind, which, relying in your perspective, is both reassuring or very scary. DeSantis faces reelection this November and is contemplating his personal White Home bid. His surgical strike right into a distant liberal enclave confirmed he's critical as a coronary heart assault, as they are saying in Florida, about competing for Trump’s voters.
As he undoubtedly needed, DeSantis ginned up limitless headlines and liberal outrage, catnip for his marketing campaign. He informed reporters on Thursday that his aim was to share the burden of unlawful immigration with Democratic states. “It shouldn’t all fall on a handful of pink states,” he stated.
Nonetheless, his efficiency clearly fell flat right here. Utilizing Florida taxpayers’ cash, he chartered two planes to fly a number of dozen folks, together with not less than 10 youngsters, 1000's of miles, on flights originating in San Antonio to a rural Massachusetts island that sees its inhabitants ebb and circulation by tens of 1000's each summer season. A vacationer bus or two extra gained’t make a lot distinction right here.
If DeSantis hoped to spur anti-immigrant sentiment on the Winery, he failed. The island has welcomed immigrants for years. Greater than 12% of the 17,000 full-time residents are overseas born, in response to the 2020 census. And for all of the breathless reporting that calls the Winery a playground of the wealthy, it’s additionally an more and more numerous neighborhood. Some 22% of residents are nonwhite.
In any case, islanders greater than met the DeSantis problem. St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Edgartown rapidly rounded up 50 cots and mattresses and housed the migrants. An emergency room physician got here down from Boston, whereas legal professionals provided professional bono companies. 5 eating places donated way more meals than the group may probably eat. Highschool college students finding out Spanish got here to translate. The Islanders Discuss web page on Fb exploded with provides to assist, and donations poured right into a Group Providers fund.
DeSantis isn’t alone in fact. Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona have bused about 10,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., since April, overwhelming companies so badly that final week District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency. On Thursday, two buses from Texas dropped 101 migrants from Colombia, Venezuela and different international locations close to Vice President Kamala Harris’ official residence.
The DeSantis migrants are caught on the Winery for now. There are worse locations. The summer season crowds are principally gone, the skies are cerulean and the leaves are beginning to drop. However inexpensive housing is tight and the winter financial system doesn’t have many roles. A lot of the newcomers presumably will face immigration hearings, and there's discuss from Boston of momentary housing on a army base on Cape Cod till the instances are sorted out. In some unspecified time in the future, maybe they will stake their claims on the American dream.
They might but thank DeSantis for the free journey away from intolerance.
Bob Drogin is a former reporter and editor for the Los Angeles Occasions in New York, Manila, Johannesburg and Washington. ©2022 Los Angeles Occasions. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company.