While Martha’s Vineyard is known as a summer destination for the rich and powerful – Presidents Barack Obama and John Kerry have homes there – the island faces a shortage of affordable housing, with The average house price is about 1 million USD. Migrants also only arrive at the end of summer, when the seasonal work is over.
“There are literally no jobs in the winter, and no affordable housing in Martha’s Vineyard,” Ms. Rush said. “The majority of people in lower to moderate income jobs live off the island and work.”
She said local community groups, churches and restaurants are all getting involved. Among the volunteers was Sergio Racig, a property manager who had come to the church to help translate. “Some of them have been tortured by the Mexican gang – some very, very bad things have happened to them,” he said, adding, “They are very happy to see all the support from the island. island.”
Mr. DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions, has repeatedly hit the federal government for transporting migrants to Florida and has threatened to send them to free lands instead. He has frequently mentioned Biden’s home state of Delaware as a possible destination.
Mr. DeSantis’ lieutenant governor, Jeanette M. Núñez, a Cuban-American, faced political heat last month from Democrats in Miami, her hometown, as she said in a statement. Radio interview in Spanish that illegal Cuban migrants crossing the border from Mexico should be busted out of state.
Florida’s governor told reporters last month that the state has yet to resettle migrants because a similar program in Texas has “put a lot of pressure on us.” Texas sent at least 6,200 migrants to the nation’s capital this year, but the governor’s office there said Wednesday that it is not involved in shipping to Martha’s Vineyard.
Mr. Cyr, a Massachusetts senator, criticized the motives behind the flights. “This is a cruel ploy to manipulate families looking for a better life,” he said, adding, “Clearly our community has been targeted.”
J. David Goodman and Michael Levenson contribution report.
