Desantis' Press Secretary Rips Martha's Vineyard Locals On Twitter After Migrants Sent There
This "trip" to the vineyard has nothing to do with wine.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent two planes full of migrants on September 15 to Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod as part of a $12 million program called the Freedom First Budget.
The budget states that the money is going to a "program within the Florida Department of Transportation" to move illegal immigrants out of the Sunshine State.
However, the 50 or so migrants took a flight out of San Antonio, Texas and they weren't even in Florida, but the planes were paid for by Florida's Governor. According to NPR, those aboard the flight said they were told the destination was Boston, not the Vineyard.
Governor DeSantis' Press Secretary, Christina Pushaw has been battling major backlash for her boss's decision to move these immigrants to an island with no relief, and many are calling it a political stunt to further the governor's immigration agenda.
Pushaw's response to the uproar has been to make fun of locals at Martha's Vineyard.
Local news stations headed there to chat with residents about the new visitors. In one interview published on September 15, a resident said there's not enough housing for the immigrants.
The government employee clapped back that most of the homes are million-dollar summer mansions, which are vacant half of the year, and "they can be used to house thousands of illegal migrants."
Pushaw fired off another post quoting a woman that published a meme of a cartoon character crying in a pool in front of a mansion, captioned: "We don't have the space!"
Her response was a smiley face.
A columnist online asked online if there was a flag that represented the island he could put in his profile bio. She took another opportunity to poke fun at the situation and published a photo of a migrant wearing a shirt with the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg's face on it that read: "Notorious R.B.G."
"Yes, this migrant is wearing a shirt with the Martha’s Vineyard flag on it. I’m so glad to see them adjusting well to their new home," she wrote.
The Press Secretary claims they gave the island "diversity".
This comes as Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) began. As far as what comes next, people are rallying to help the Vineyard with relief efforts.