A statement released by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office on Tuesday (September 20) claims a class action lawsuit brought by Venezuelan Migrants involved in the flight to Martha’s Vineyard was participating in “political theater.”
Taryn Feske, DeSantis Communications Director, said in the statement, “It is opportunistic that activists would use illegal immigrants for political theater.”
Feske claimed if the activists involved in the suit “spent even a fraction of this time and effort at the border, perhaps some accountability would be brought to the Biden Administration’s reckless border policies.”
Instead, Feske claimed Biden’s border policies “entice illegal immigrants to make dangerous and often lethal journeys through Central America and put their lives in the hands of cartels and Coyotes.”
Feske’s comments on Tuesday came hours after a class-action lawsuit by three unnamed migrants and activists was filed against DeSantis and Florida’s transportation secretary for misleading migrants with false promises to get them to board the flight.
The migrants accuse DeSantis of violating their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights in addition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In response to media queries for commentary about the migrants’ claims, DeSantis’ office released an English version of the indemnity form migrants signed before boarding the flight.
“I agree to hold the benefactor or its designated representatives harmless of all liability arising out of or in any way relating to any injuries and damages that may occur during the agreed transport to locations outside of Texas until the final destination of Massachusetts,” the form states.
Yet, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, a firm representing the plaintiffs, claims the form was never “properly or fully” translated into Spanish.
