According to a class-action lawsuit, Florida officials and agencies used a number of tactics to lure migrants on a charter flight to Martha's Vineyard.
On September 14, 50 migrants, most of whom were from Venezuela, were flown in two charter planes from Texas to Martha's Vineyard as part of a political stunt by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to criticize border policies.
A group of migrants has filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Florida. Lawyers for the migrants accused Florida officials of hatching a plan to cheat vulnerable immigrants.
According to the lawsuit, part of the scheme was to make false promises regarding employment and housing upon arrival on Martha's Vineyard.
A brochure titled "Massachusetts Refugee Benefits" was included in a folder given to migrants just before they arrived.
The brochure contained misleading information that was not available for asylum seekers in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit accuses the officials of faking the leaflet completely.
"On information and belief, the brochure was manufactured by Defendants," the lawsuit read, adding that it "echoed the type of false representation" that migrants were given by word-of-mouth.
None of the migrants were eligible for the Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program which was taken into account in the brochure.
The brochure was not prepared by the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants.
The representative from the state's Office for Refugees and Immigrants did not respond to the request.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
