Migrants Ron DeSantis Had Flown To Martha’s Vineyard Now On Track For Special Visas – By Mary Papenfuss (Huffpost) / Oct 14, 2022
The immigrants are being certified as crime victims, making them eligible for U visas, which often lead to green cards.
In a twist of fate bound to infuriate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the migrants he had flown to Martha’s Vineyard are now on track for special visas that will allow them to stay in the U.S.
Forty-nine people were lured into boarding flights from Texas to the Massachusetts vacation island last month in a Republican political stunt devised by DeSantis.
Bexar County Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar announced Thursday that he has filed federal paperwork to have the migrants certified as victims (or witnesses) of a crime, The Texas Tribune reported. That qualifies them to obtain a special U visa that allows them to stay in the country — and often leads to a coveted permanent resident green card.
Salazar has already launched a criminal investigation into the operation and said giving the migrants a new visa status will “ensure the migrants’ availability as witnesses during the investigation” and any subsequent trial.
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