MIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials are being subpoenaed in federal court by immigrant rights groups questioning the constitutionality of the state’s migrant resettlement program.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by three groups — the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Americans for Immigrant Justice and the Hope Community Center — against DeSantis and state Secretary of Transportation Jared Perdue. It was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Earlier this year, the Florida legislature approved a $12 million budget line to illegally relocate people in the United States from Florida to another location. The money came from interest earned on federal funds made available to Florida as part of America’s bailout.
The lawsuit alleges that the appropriation creates an inconsistent definition of an “unauthorized alien” that is inconsistent with federal immigration laws. Immigration rights groups say the misdefined term could include people who were approved by the federal government to stay in the country and in Florida but are now facing harassment simply for wanting to enter or stay in Florida.
In September, Florida officials arranged flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, bringing 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the island where former President Barack Obama owns a home. Local officials were not notified of the migrants’ arrival in advance.
DeSantis, a Republican, took responsibility for the flights as part of a campaign to bring attention to what he called the Biden administration’s failed border policy. He has joined Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the tactic of sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without warning.
The Martha’s Vineyard flight has also spawned lawsuits accusing Florida of lying to migrants in San Antonio to get them to take the flights.
The Florida governor’s office and the Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment from the Associated Press.
