DeSantis Claims He Sent Immigrants in Texas to Martha’s Vineyard ‘For Florida’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) said he sent two planes to Texas to bring undocumented immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard “for Florida.”

DeSantis used $615,000 in taxpayer money to bring nearly 50 undocumented Venezuelan immigrants from Florida to the Massachusetts island. Some of the immigrants have said they were promised expedited work papers and job opportunities.

The governor has been floated as a potential 2024 presidential contender, and critics have claimed the move is a stunt to help his political fortunes.

Appearing on Fox News on Monday, DeSantis explained his reasoning to Sean Hannity.

“You’ve had criminal aliens get across that southern border and victimize Americans, killing some, raping some,” DeSantis said. “Was there any type of outrage about that? No. And then of course we know fentanyl deaths are at an all-time high.”

The governor said people on Martha’s Vineyard “wanted this” because they said they are a “sanctuary jurisdiction.”

“These are people who were basically destitute and then put in a situation where they could have succeeded, but that was all virtue-signaling,” he continued, noting the immigrants have since been sent to the mainland.

Hannity asked if the relocated immigrants went voluntarily. DeSantis responded in the affirmative and stated the vendor he hired with public funds transported them “for Florida.” The governor did not explain what, if any benefit Floridians received from his decision.

“Yes,” DeSantis replied. “Not only that, they all signed consent forms to go. And then the vendor that is doing this for Florida provided them with a packet that had a map of Martha’s Vineyard. It had the numbers for different services on Martha’s Vineyard. And then it had numbers for the overall agencies in Massachusetts that handle things involving immigration and refugees. So it was clearly voluntary.”

DeSantis went on to criticize the people of Martha’s Vineyard for claiming they don’t have the resources to absorb dozens of undocumented immigrants.

Watch above via Fox News.