Liberal figures melted down over Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy of transporting illegal migrants from Florida to Massachusetts.
The Florida governor sent two planes of illegal migrants to the upscale Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday as part of a broader effort to transport these migrants to Democrat-run sanctuary cities. Liberals immediately condemned the actions, even accusing the governor of “inhumane” authoritarianism, though the governor later confirmed that the 50 migrants boarded the planes voluntarily.
Filmmaker Ken Burns compared the governor’s move to the Holocaust during a Thursday appearance on CNN. Burns recently co-directed a documentary mini-series on the role on the U.S. response to the Holocaust, which is set to premier on Sept. 18, according to PBS.
“It’s the abstraction of human life. It’s basically saying that you can use a human life that is as valuable as yours or mine … and to put it in a position of becoming a political pawn in somebody’s authoritarian game,” Burns said on CNN. “This is coming straight out of the authoritarian playbook, this is what’s so disturbing about DeSantis is to use human beings, to weaponize beings for a political purpose, it’s like when somebody disagrees with him in Florida, like the Walt Disney Company, he punishes them.”
“This is not the actions of somebody participating in a democratic process, in an exchange of ideas, this is about punishing political enemies, putting on a show, these political shows, political theater and in this case, this is with the lives of human beings,” Burns continued. (RELATED: CNN Host & Ken Burns Compare DeSantis Sending Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard To The Holocaust)
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams also condemned the governor’s move Thursday morning, vowing that his city and state will not handle the migrant crisis in such a manner. The mayor has previously clashed with Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who recently bussed migrants to his city.
“We are not going to be like those municipalities and states where we fly people to Martha’s Vineyard, where we put people on buses and have them fail to get the basic items they need,” he said. “And anyone who states that this administration does not have a handle on this crisis, they must have been sleeping under a rock.”
Left-wing figures on social media also raged about DeSantis’ action, including The Nation’s justice correspondent, Elie Mystal, who claimed that Abbott was guilty of “human trafficking.”
“Republicans governors are now engaged in human trafficking but for some reason that’s not the story on every network,” Mystal tweeted.
Republicans governors are now engaged in human trafficking but for some reason that’s not the story on every network. https://t.co/WLWmPXGZaP
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) September 15, 2022
“Republicans who call themselves Christians have been plotting for some time to use human lives – men, women, and children – as a political pawns. It is evil and inhumane,” Democratic Massachusetts state Rep. Dylan Fernandes wrote.
Republicans who call themselves Christians have been plotting for some time to use human lives – men, women, and children – as a political pawns. It is evil and inhumane.
— Dylan Fernandes (@RepDylan) September 15, 2022
“The supposedly godless, east coast heathens of Martha’s Vineyard demonstrated more of Christ’s grace and love in welcoming refugees with open arms than the supposedly Christ-loving Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida could ever hope to do,” activist Charlotte Clymer wrote. “I just want reporters to ask Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis and every other churchgoing Republican point blank: What does Christ say about immigrants and refugees?”
I just want reporters to ask Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis and every other churchgoing Republican point blank:
What does Christ say about immigrants and refugees?
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) September 15, 2022
No one is exempt from DeSantis’ insatiable presidential ambition. Cuban, Venezuelan and Colombian migrants included. #TheMoreYouKnow https://t.co/awavAFvMWC
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) September 15, 2022
There are significant Venezuelan and Colombian communities in Florida. When I lived there folks used to call the S. Florida town Weston “Westonzuela” due to the sizable & vibrant population there. DeSantis using families like theirs as a political cruelty prop is quite a choice. https://t.co/xCeLLovh3d
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) September 15, 2022
Deeply deeply sick and dehumanizing to fling human beings somewhere vindictively.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 15, 2022
Imagine if DeSantis spent that $12 million he WASTED on a publicity stunt to fly 50 people to Marthas Vineyard on making sure his severely underpaid teachers got some money for school supplies they pay for outta their own pockets? Now THAT would be proper governing.
— Claudia Jordan (@claudiajordan) September 15, 2022
Florida is spending $12 million to fly innocent migrant children out of our state when that money could be spent on fighting to help Floridians and lower costs.
This is just another political stunt that hurts our state.
— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) September 15, 2022
“Leaving people in a place where they don’t know where they are with no food and water just to be able to get in Tucker Carlson and Fox News’s good graces is disgusting. It’s inhumane…as UnChristian a thing as you could be. It’s evil.” https://t.co/nWoRDABucH
— Nicole Perlr🌻th (@nicoleperlroth) September 15, 2022
This story has been updated with DeSantis’ statement that all migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard boarded their flights voluntarily.