On Wednesday, a plane with dozens of refugees landed unexpectedly on the American holiday island of Martha’s Vineyard. Florida’s Republican governor had people brought there because of a dispute over immigration policy. The state to which the island belongs is democratic.
After the refugees landed on the island, the community immediately arranged beds, meals and medical care for them, local Democratic MP Dylan Fernandes wrote on Twitter. The islanders were not informed, but would now help together. Many refugees did not even know where they were, but reported that their apartments and jobs had been promised.
Fernandes also criticized the actions of Republicans in this regard on Twitter: “Republicans who call themselves Christians have long planned to use human lives – men, women and children – as political pawns.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is responsible for the flight, wants the action to collect only “cheap political points”.
Martha’s Vineyard Island is known as an upscale beach town where former President Barack Obama’s family has a luxury beachfront villa and former President Bill Clinton’s family vacations. Outside the summer season, only about 15,000 people live there.
First buses with refugees
In the spring, Republican governors of Texas and Arizona, Greg Abbott and Doug Ducey, began transporting refugees from the borderlands to the democratically governed cities of Washington, New York, and Chicago. Since then, more than 9,000 people are said to have arrived in Washington. Mayor Muriel Bowser has already declared a state of emergency to receive federal aid.
The background to these actions is the course of the administration under Joe Biden, against which this section of Republicans is protesting. Biden had spoken of an “open borders policy” and eased the course significantly compared to his predecessor Donald Trump. The DeSantis office said states like Massachusetts and New York would take better care of the refugees.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
