A federal judge in Massachusetts has recently issued a ruling that narrows down the scope of a lawsuit filed against Governor Ron DeSantis and other defendants. The lawsuit was filed after Florida facilitated the transportation of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022. While the ruling has limited the scope of the lawsuit, it has allowed the legal challenge against the company responsible for organizing these high-profile flights to proceed. The judge’s ruling was accompanied by strong language.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs’ decision, encompassing 77 pages, has dismissed DeSantis and other state defendants from the lawsuit. However, this does not eliminate the potential for further legal action against DeSantis concerning the controversial flights he undertook to voice his disagreement with President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. These flights, which involved approximately 50 migrants primarily from Venezuela, garnered significant attention during that period.
The lawsuit against the Republican governor, along with current and former top aides, has been dropped. The main individual responsible for finding people for the September 2022 flights was also cleared of any potential illegal actions in Massachusetts. The judge determined that there were “insufficient facts” presented in the lawsuit to establish a connection between these individuals and any wrongdoing.
“The court is unable to determine the specific actions taken by each individual defendant, making it impossible to establish whether any of them conducted business or caused harm in this jurisdiction. Therefore, based on the current record, the court has no option but to conclude that personal jurisdiction has not been established,” Burroughs explained.
The DeSantis administration expressed their appreciation for the dismissal of the lawsuit against the governor.
Jeremy Redfern, spokesperson for DeSantis, emphasized that the flights were carried out in accordance with the law and were authorized by the Florida Legislature. He expressed anticipation for Florida’s upcoming flight to relocate undocumented immigrants and highlighted the importance of drawing national attention to the crisis at the southern border.
Burroughs, on the other hand, criticized Vertol, the company that received $1.5 million to manage the flights, and asserted that multiple claims against the vendor can move forward. Additionally, the judge acknowledged the existence of evidence supporting the allegations that the migrants were specifically targeted due to their Hispanic background.
In a recent ruling, Burroughs expressed her strong disapproval of rounding up vulnerable individuals under false pretenses and thrusting them into a contentious national discussion.
DeSantis actively advocated for securing $12 million from the Legislature to support his migrant relocation program. Records revealed that numerous high-ranking aides played a significant role in coordinating the Martha’s Vineyard flights. The lawsuit filed against DeSantis by Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, representing some of the individuals on the flight, along with Alianza Americas, alleged that the migrants were deceived regarding their destination and falsely promised housing and employment opportunities upon arrival.
The organization expressed its appreciation for the ruling as it permits the litigation to proceed.
“The recent ruling in the Martha’s Vineyard case is a significant triumph, delivering a powerful message that private companies will be held responsible for their involvement in aiding rogue state actors in violating the rights of vulnerable immigrants through illegal and deceitful tactics,” stated Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director for the Boston group.
According to Espinoza-Madrigal, it is important to clarify that the Martha’s Vineyard migrants will not halt their efforts at this point. The group intends to persist in pursuing claims against all parties involved, including gathering more evidence that could potentially be utilized in a future lawsuit against DeSantis.
In June of last year, Florida organized a second round of flights to transport migrants to Sacramento. However, no further operations have been carried out since then. Recently, DeSantis suggested the idea of flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
