The migrants that were taken from Texas and flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) filed a class action lawsuit against him on Tuesday, according to Axios.
The migrants allege in the complaint that they were given misleading information promising cash assistance, employment services and housing assistance, which they called “bold-faced lies.”
In addition to DeSantis, the suit filed in a federal court in Boston, names Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation Jared Perdue and the State of Florida.
“These immigrants, who are pursuing the proper channels for lawful immigration status in the United States, experienced cruelty akin to what they fled in their home country,” the suit says. “Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Government’s exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda.”
Lawyers representing the migrants argued that the relocations violated their Fourth and 14th Amendment rights and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Earlier on Tuesday, DeSantis blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for how he treated the migrants.
“Those migrants were being treated horribly by Biden, they were hungry, homeless, they had no opportunity at all. State of Florida, it was volunteer, offered transport to sanctuary jurisdictions,” DeSantis said. “If you believe in open borders then it’s the sanctuary jurisdictions that should have to bear the brunt of the open borders.”
