Ron DeSantis scores huge legal win as he is dismissed from lawsuit over migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyards – but asylum seekers can still sue charter flight company

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won a legal victory when the conservative firebrand was dismissed from a lawsuit by immigrants who flew to Martha’s Vineyard.

The class action lawsuit, filed in the District of Massachusetts, alleged that the governor “designed and executed a premeditated, fraudulent and unlawful scheme focused on exploiting (immigrants) for the sole purpose of advancing his own personal, financial and political interests.”

The US District Court of Massachusetts said in its ruling that it does not have jurisdiction over DeSantis in this case

While DeSantis has been removed, migrants can still sue the charter company that transported them to the island off the coast of Massachusetts, according to a ruling Monday by a federal judge in Boston.

In 2022, DeSantis organized the airlift of 50 immigrants to the wealthy island off Massachusetts, in a move that set off a storm in the political war over immigration.

The 50 Venezuelans were sent to Martha’s Vineyard from San Antonio, Texas, and were promised job and housing opportunities.

under monday decisionThe immigrants can continue their lawsuit against Florida-based Vertol Systems Co., which agreed to fly them to the island for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

An email sent to the company seeking comment after the ruling was published in the afternoon was not immediately returned.

The court found that the facts of the case “taken together, support the inference that Vertol and the other defendants specifically targeted plaintiffs because they were Latino immigrants.”

The DeSantis administration took note that the judges’ order dismissed the state defendants.

“As we have always said, the flights were conducted legally and were authorized by the Florida Legislature,” Julia Friedland, DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, said in a statement.

“We look forward to Florida’s next illegal immigrant relocation flight and are pleased to bring national attention to the crisis at the southern border.”

The court also said that “unlike ICE agents who legitimately enforce the country’s immigration laws… the Court sees no legitimate purpose for arresting highly vulnerable individuals under false pretenses and publicly inserting them into a divisive national debate.” “.

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, called the 77-page ruling a major victory in the Martha’s Vineyard case.

He said in a statement that the ruling sends a message that private companies can be held accountable for helping dishonest state actors violate the rights of vulnerable immigrants through what he characterized as illegal and fraudulent schemes.

The immigrants are asking for compensatory, emotional distress and punitive damages, that their attorneys’ costs be covered and that DeSantis be prevented from “inducing immigrants to travel across state lines through fraud and misrepresentation.”

Massachusetts called in its National Guard to deal with the few dozen migrants and the migrants were moved to a military base on Cape Cod after Gov. Charlie Baker said the billionaire’s enclave was “not equipped to provide sustainable housing” for the migrants. immigrants.

DeSantis took a page out of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s playbook with this policy move. Abbott had bussed thousands of immigrants to liberal sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.