A judge ruled Tuesday that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis must hand over records related to the flights of illegal migrants he recently chartered to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Leon County Circuit Court Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled that DeSantis has 20 days to provide the records, according to the Miami Herald. Marsh said that DeSantis hadn’t taken any “direct steps” to “gather what this court finds are public records” that involve state affairs conducted on private devices.
The Florida Center for Government Accountability filed a lawsuit against DeSantis on October 10 for the records to shed light on the behind-the-scenes communications among officials with the governor’s office. “We’re very pleased to report that we were victorious in court today. Judge Marsh ruled from the bench that @GovRonDeSantis violated the Public Records Act by delaying the production of public records,” the organization tweeted about the judge’s latest move.
Migrants gather after being flown in from Texas on a flight funded by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at Edgartown, Massachusetts, U.S. September 15, 2022. Vineyard Gazette/Handout via REUTERS
DeSantis sent two flights of 48 illegal migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a hub for wealthy elites, on Sept. 14. Since then, he’s received intense backlash for allegedly duping the illegal migrants into boarding the flights and misleading them about their destination. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Migrant Caravans Are Preparing To Flood The US Border Ahead Of Midterms, Senior Guatemalan Official Warns)
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said of the governor’s move at the time.
The illegal migrants were informed of their destination and provided packets with resources for them in the area, according to documents exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
A Texas sheriff is conducting an investigation into the flights that originated in his state, alleging that the illegal migrants were “lured” by someone who was paid to recruit them.
DeSantis’ office didn’t immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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