Migrant flights: Gov. DeSantis doubles down while facing legal challenges

MIAMI – Miami-Dade State Senator Jason Pizzo has filed a request for an emergency injunction asking a Tallahassee judge to prevent Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration from using state money to pay for any more migrant flights.  

Senator Pizzo told CBS4 that Desantis had no right to use Florida money in the way that he did. 

He also sent CBS4 a statement saying, “The Governor had legislators carry and pass bills (SB1808 and Section 185 of HB5001) that were crafted to suit his agenda, and that he signed into law. And yet, he still can’t comply with the requirements and restrictions.” 

The move comes at a time when the White House fully expects and is preparing for more groups of migrants to be sent to Democratic cities by Republican Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis.

On Thursday, Governor DeSantis doubled down on his decision.

“No one really cared about that on the national media perspective until 50 show up in Martha’s Vineyard and you got to ask yourself, on this okay, why is that such a big deal but it wasn’t a bit deal with some 50 migrants died in a shed in Texas,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis says the migrants were moved on a “voluntary basis.”

However, a lawyer representing some of those migrants who are suing Governor DeSantis in a class action lawsuit says they were misled and the governor broke several laws.

“The federal constitution to begin with that has protections against illegal seizure, against deprivation of liberty, it has protections for due process. The constitution also makes immigration a Federal matter so there is interference in an area that is under exclusive federal control. So, there were many different laws that were broken by this fraud and deceit,” said attorney Oren Sellstrom.

Lawyers representing the migrants say they are the victims of a political stunt. 

DeSantis spent about $600,00 to fly the migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.