Lawyers for Civil Rights continues our work on the ground for vulnerable immigrant families who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard earlier this week as part of a craven and inhumane political stunt.
In the last 24 hours, we have interviewed dozens of impacted individuals, some who arrived with children as young as 2 years old, visibly shaken.
The stories our clients tell are heartbreaking – and infuriating. We learned of their long and perilous journeys from their home countries, of their arrival in the United States and their processing by federal immigration authorities.
Then – in a still unbelievable turn of events engineered by the Florida governor – our clients tell how they were induced to board planes with false representations of work assistance and immigration relief in Boston. Mid-flight, they were informed they were not going to Boston after all, but to Martha’s Vineyard. They were dropped on the island without notice to anyone in the community.
This cowardly political stunt has placed our clients in peril. Upon arrival, numerous individuals had to be rushed to the hospital, in need of medical care. Some now have immigration hearings as early as Monday thousands of miles away.
Our legal team at Lawyers for Civil Rights, supported by an extensive corps of pro bono attorneys and other allies, have screened 50 immigrants for protection and relief, are assisting them with navigating the immigration process, and are documenting their painful experiences.
We are urging law enforcement authorities to investigate criminal charges against the Florida governor and his accomplices, and are continuing to explore all other available legal remedies. Throughout, the Edgartown Church and the Martha’s Vineyard community have mobilized to provide amazing community support. LCR's legal team will escort the immigrant families off of Martha's Vineyard.
On a parallel track, LCR is exploring legal options -- civil and criminal -- to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Here in Massachusetts, we will not stand idly by and allow human beings to be treated as political props. We are affording our clients the dignity and respect they deserve, and will continue to do so until justice prevails.
