Our lawsuit against DeSantis over his migrant political stunt is a chance to reflect
Pushing back against DeSantis and other Republican governors who are transporting migrants unannounced to sanctuary cities sends a powerful message.
Last week, the nonprofit immigrant advocacy group Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a federal class-action suit on behalf of Venezuelan migrants whom Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in a political stunt. Alianza Americas, the organization I help lead, is a co-plaintiff.
Our suit against DeSantis and others involved in abruptly sending nearly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard seeks a nationwide injunction to stop this sort of relocation of immigrants, which we believe to be fraudulent. These recent arrivals, all of whom have been screened and approved for entry into the U.S., have little to their names other than the determination to build better lives for their families.
When they arrive, immigrants deserve to be treated as far more than the agentless pawns they are often portrayed to be in our hyperpartisan debates.
Because undocumented immigrants are routinely taken advantage of by people in power, the suit is a significant example of members of the immigration community’s agency in a legal system in which they often feel powerless or simply don't understand.
Our organization is a network of groups that help immigrants achieve a sustainable way of life throughout the Americas. Before I led it, I worked for nearly 25 years with different organizations helping newcomers in the U.S., so I am accustomed to hearing the stories of people who are trying to navigate a complicated system.
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