Judge Throws Out Lawsuit; DeSantis Victorious in Legal Clash

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – On April 1, a federal judge in Massachusetts dismissed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other defendants from a lawsuit regarding the 50 migrants who were flown in September 2022 from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.

The class action lawsuit, filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston and Alianza Americas on behalf of some of the migrants, alleged that the migrants were not told where they were going and if there would be housing or jobs available.

In the 77-page ruling by the U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, she found the lawsuit contained “insufficient facts” linking DeSantis and the other defendants to any potentially illegal actions that happened in Massachusetts, adding, “personal jurisdiction has not been established.”

However, the ruling by Burroughs allows the legal challenge against the company that arranged for the flights, Vertol, to proceed. She found that the lawsuit contained evidence supporting several allegations against Vertol, which was paid $1.5 million for the flights.

She added that the lawsuit also contains evidence supporting the allegations that the migrants, who were mainly from Venezuela, were targeted because they were Hispanic.

The ruling also leaves open the possibility that additional legal action might be pursued against DeSantis over the flights, arranged by DeSantis as a way to protest President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. DeSantis had proposed sending the migrants to other Democratic states besides Massachusetts, states “whose governors endorse” blatantly violating federal immigration law. However, he chose Martha’s Vineyard, which is in a Democratic state, because it is known for its multi-million dollar summer homes. One of those homes belongs to former President Barack Obama, who bought a house on the island in 2019.

A spokesperson for DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, responded to the dismissal, saying that the flights had been “conducted lawfully.” He added that they are looking “forward to Florida’s next illegal immigrant relocation flight.”

In a statement, the executive director for Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, said they continue pursuing legal action against those involved in the flights, including potential future legal action against DeSantis.