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GOVERNOR Ron DeSantis’ sending of illegal migrants to the exclusive island of Martha’s Vineyard is generating a fierce national political debate. On the one hand, conservatives, such as Senator Ted Cruz, argue that Republicans are sending newly arrived migrants to sanctuary cities where they should be welcomed, thanks to lax laws and their immigration authorities. Democrats, however, are crying foul, even calling the situation a “humanitarian crisis.”
To our Island community, here is an update on current humanitarian crisis on Martha's Vineyard….we thank people for their continued help. pic.twitter.com/f9YRJSJPow
— Visit Martha's Vineyard (@VisitMV) September 15, 2022
One of the officials who addressed the controversy was White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who said that sending migrants to Martha’s Vineyard is a “cruel inhumane way to treat people who are fleeing communism,” since most of the people sent to the island are from Venezuela.
Senator Ted Cruz seized on the comment to ridicule the press secretary, with a comment that is going viral: “To be fair, sending anyone to be surrounded by rich, hypocritical liberals is pretty cruel & inhumane.”
More sharp comments from Ted Cruz
The Republican senator, who has been highly critical of the Biden Administration’s immigration policies, has been speaking out about the situation on Martha’s Vineyard throughout the day.
In a thread of three tweets, Cruz congratulated Governor DeSantis and warned that island authorities would hypocritically complain about receiving migrants, since last year, the county commissioner himself, Keith Chatinover, told the senator that he would be happy to receive migrants.
1/x Kudos to @GovRonDeSantis for sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
When I proposed the same last year, the elected leadership welcomed it:
County commissioner Keith Chatinover: “I would LOVE Martha’s Vineyard to become a haven…” https://t.co/R1FyL5URCJ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 15, 2022
“Kudos to @GovRonDeSantis for sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard. When I proposed the same last year, the elected leadership welcomed it:,” Cruz wrote in a thread on Twitter, before quoting Commissioner Chatinover.
“I would LOVE Martha’s Vineyard to become a haven… for new immigrants to this country, but Senator Cruz HAS NO IDEA what he’s talking about regarding a ‘border crisis.’…Immigrants make our country stronger”, was part of the commissioner’s response quoted by Cruz.
The Republican then launched into a prediction that came to fruition within minutes: “HYPOCRISY ALERT: Let’s see if the Dems in Martha’s Vineyard feel the same way after a few thousand illegal immigrants arrive on their doorstep.”
An hour later, Martha’s Vineyard authorities were declaring a “humanitarian crisis” for receiving about 50 migrants from Florida, proving the senator right.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the exact featured quotes.
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón is a journalist at El American specializing in the areas of American politics and media analysis // Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón es periodista de El American especializado en las áreas de política americana y análisis de medios de comunicación.
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