Martha’s Vineyard Migrants Sue DeSantis Alleging ‘False Imprisonment’ and ‘Conspiracy’

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard last week by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) have filed a class action lawsuit against him, alleging they were victims of a “conspiracy” to falsely imprison them.

The civil lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts Tuesday, just six days after 48 migrants were flown to the island on behalf of DeSantis.

The governor is listed as a defendant in a 35-page court filing, as is the Florida Department of Transportation and its leader Jared Perdue.

The suit cites four plaintiffs, as well as “others similarly situated,” and complains the flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard violated multiple Constitutional amendments and were part of a “conspiracy.”

“These immigrants, who are pursuing the proper channels for lawful immigration status in the United States, experienced cruelty akin to what they fled in their home country,” the suit states. “Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process, and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Government’s exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda.”

On one page of the lengthy filing, it is alleged DeSantis and the other defendants engaged in “false imprisonment” of each migrant and inflicted “emotional distress” on them:

The Plaintiffs had relied on the Defendants’ promises of support and social services—basic human needs of which, as recent immigrants, they were in particularly desperate need.

When they became aware that they were transported thousands of miles away from Texas, where they need to continue with their federal immigration proceedings, without any of the support from the Defendants, they became emotionally traumatized.

[…]

Defendants negligently inflicted emotional distress on the individual Plaintiffs through their actions described throughout this complaint. This negligent infliction of emotional distress caused the Plaintiffs dignitary harms and physical manifestations of harm requiring mental health counseling and support.

The plaintiffs are being represented by the progressive Boston-based legal advocacy firm Lawyers for Civil Rights.

The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, in addition to attorneys fees and court costs.

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