THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. STICK WITH US ON AIR, I’LL BE BACK WITH YOU IN JUST UNDER AN
HOUR WITH AN UPDATE.
>> LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
NOW TO THE GROWING DEBATE OVER
THE GOVERNOR’S PLAN TO PROFILE
AND RELOCATE MIGRANTS FROM THE
SOUTHERN BOARD TORE OTHER CITIES
AS A HEDGE HE SAYS AGAINST THEM
COMING TO FLORIDA.
THE GROWING DEBATE GETS MORE
COMPLICATED THAN THE HEADLINES
MAY INDICATE.
THE LATEST OF LAWSUIT FILINGS IS
ABOUT STATE SENATOR JASON PIZZO
BUT AS A CITIZEN AND A TAXPAYER.
>> WHEN A FLIGHT TAKES OFF FROM
TEXAS AND ONLY STOPS TEMPORARILY
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WITHOUT
ALLOWS FOR DISEM BAR KAITION OR
A FORCED LANDING, THAT FLIGHT IS
STILL IN FLIGHT.
YOU FORCED MY HAND JUST TO COME
TO TALLAHASSEE AND TELL YOU TO
STOP.
>> GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS
DEFENDED NOT ONLY THE RELOCATION
PLAN BUT THE WAY IT IS BEING
CARRIED OUT.
WE ASKED HIM THIS WEEK WHETHER
GIVING SO CALLED SANCTUARY
STATES ADVANCED NOTICE OF THOSE
ARRIVALS MIGHT HAVE MITIGATED
THE BLOWBACK.
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
YOU KNOW HOW I KNOW THAT?
BIDEN HAS DUMPED PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE FRUITED PLANE.
>> YOU HAVE REALLY SERIOUS
THINGS HAPPENING ALONG THE WAY
TO THE BORDER ONCE THEY GET IN,
ARE BASIC DESTITUTE IN SOME
PARKING LOT.
>> NO ONE REALLY CARED ABOUT
THAT ON THE NATIONAL MEDIA
PERSPECTIVE UNTIL 50 SHOW UP IN
MARTHA’S VINEYARD.
>> THE FIRST FEDERAL LAWSUIT
FILED THIS WEEK BY IMMIGRANT
ADVOCATES IN MASSACHUSETTS
ACCUSES THE STATE OF FLORIDA THE
GOVERNOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION WHICH ADMINISTERS
THE FUNDING OF COERCING AND
MISLEADING AND DISCRIMINATING
AGAINST THE MIGRANTS FOR THOSE
TRIPS.
AND THAT WAS FILED BY LAWYERS
FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN BOSTON AND
THE ATTORNEYS ORRIN FELLSTROM
WHO IS LIVE WITH US RIGHT NOW.
GOOD DO SEE YOU AND WE DO
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
LAWSUIT IN DETAIL AND GO THROUGH
THAT.
AND ALSO ABOUT SOME CONFUSION
MAYBE IN IMMIGRATION POLICY AND
ALSO THE POLITICS OF ALL THIS.
WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO LET’S START WITH THE LAWSUIT.
YOUR LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT THESE
MIGRANTS RIGHTS’ WERE VIOLATED,
FEDERAL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED.
EXPLAIN THAT.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
WE FILED A FEDERAL CLASS ACTION
LAWSUIT THIS WEEK AGAINST
GOVERNOR DE SANTIST AND HIS
ACCOMPLICES CHALLENGING HIS
ILLEGAL SCHEME TO FRAUDULENTLY
INDUCE A VERY VULNERABLE CLASS
OF IMMIGRANTS TO CROSS STATE
LINES THROUGH FALSE PROMISES AND
MISREPRESENTATION.
>> SO WHEN YOU SAY, LET’S DIG
DEEP INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN YOU SAY FALSE PROMISES, I
THINK EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN
WATCHING ANY OF THE NEWS THIS
WEEK IS WELL AWARE OF PAMPHLETS
THAT WERE GIVEN OUT.
THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF SAID HE HAS
HAD PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IN
TEXAS PROFILING WHO MIGHT BE
COMING TO FLORIDA.
WE HEARD ACCOUNTS OF, YOU HAVE
HEARD ACCOUNTS AND YOUR
ATTORNEYS HAVE HEARD ACCOUNTS
FIRST HAND OF THE MIGRANTS IN
MASSACHUSETTS ABOUT WHAT THEY
WERE TOLD ABOUT HOUSING AND
JOBS.
THE GOVERNOR HAD SATE
THAT-- SAID THAT THERE WERE NO
SPECIFIC PROMISES MADE, RATHER
THAT SANCTUARY STATES, THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO, THEY WERE TOLD,
HAVE MORE RESOURCES LIKE THOSE
THINGS TO HELP THEM.
SO WHERE IS THAT LINE BETWEEN
LIED TO AND SORT OF GIVEN AN
OPTION.
>> WELL, IT IS VERY CLEAR IN
THIS CASE THAT GOVERNOR DESANTIS
AND HIS ACCOMPLICES WERE WELL
ACROSS THE LINE INTO DEFEAT AND
MISREPRESENTATION.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS
GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS IS ALREADY
IN A HIGHLY VULNERABLE STATE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE FLED
PERSECUTION AND VIOLENCE IN
THEIR HOME COUNTRY, THAT HAVE
CROSSED CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO
N MOST CASES LARGELY ON FOOT.
THEY COME TO THE UNITED STATES
AS A PLACE OF REFUGE, TURN
THEMSELVES IN TO FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES TO
PROCESS THEM AND RELEASE THEM
AND IT IS THEN THAT GOVERNOR
DESANTIS’ ACCOMPLICES ON THE
GROUND IN TEXAS BEGAN PREYING ON
THAT VERY VULNERABILITY AND
TRYING TO BUILD THE TRUST THAT
OUR CLIENTS HAD IN THEM, GIVING
THEM GIFT CARDS TO MCDONALD’S,
FOR EXAMPLE.
PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATELY
HUNGARY.
WE HAD ONE CLIENT WHO AGAIN, HAD
WALKED ACROSS MEXICO TO REACH
THE UNITED STATES AND SO HIS
SHOES WERE WORN OUT.
AND THIS WOMAN WHO IDENTIFIED
HERSELF AS PERLA, YOU KNOW, SAID
SHE WAS JUST A GOOD SAMARITAN,
OFFERED TO BUY HIM A NEW PAIR OF
SHOES.
SO IT WAS REALLY INSIDIOUS THE
WAY THAT GOVERNOR DESANTIS’
ACCOMPLICES REALLY WORKED TO
BUILD TRUST IN OUR CLIENTS,
INDUCE THEM TO FLY AND THEN OF
COURSE IT TURNED OUT TO ALL BE A
POLITICAL STUNT.
>> SO LET ME, THE WORD PLILT KAL
STUNT HAS BEEN USE-- POLITICAL
STUNT HAS BEEN USED LOT.
AND LET ME JUST KIND OF POINT
OUT THE WORDS THAT YOU ARE
USING, ACCOMPLICES AND
INSIDIOUS, THEY ARE VERY CHARGED
WORDS THAT ARE IN THE LAWSUIT.
AND YOU ARE BUILDING YOUR CASE
AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE
THAT.
BUT MAYBE, LET ME JUST PRESENT
SOME PERCEPTIONS THAT I’VE HEARD
FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE
OF THIS PLAN IN THAT, TO YOUR
POINT, THESE MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN
THROUGH HELL ON EARTH, JUNGLES
AND WHO KNOWS, BEATING, SOME OF
THEM HAVE TALKED ABOUT, BRUTAL
BEATINGS BY SMUGGLERS OR PEOPLE
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM ALONG
THE WAY.
HERE THEY LAND.
THEY ARE HOMELESS, THEY ARE
DESTITUTE, THEY ARE WAITING FOR
ASYLUM PROCESS WITH NO
RESOURCES.
SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE
ASSISTANCE THAT THEY GOT ALONG
THAT WAY?
>> SO YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IN
POINTING OUT ALL OF THE
VULNERABILITIES THAT THIS
POPULATION HAS.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN THAT
SITUATION YOU DON’T LIE TO THEM.
YOU DON’T DECEIVE THEM.
YOU DON’T TELL THEM THERE ARE
GOING TO BE JOBS AND THERE ARE
GOING TO BE EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN
AND THERE IS GOING TO BE
ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR
IMMIGRATION CASES WAITING FOR
THEM.
IF THEY BOARD THESE FLIGHTS.
IT IS REALLY INSIDIOUS TO BUILD
PEOPLE’S TRUST THROUGH THAT KIND
OF FALSE MISREPRESENTATION.
THERCH THEY WERE FLOWN TO
MARTHA’S VINEYARD AS YOU KNOW.
IT WAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE
THE PLANE WAS LANDING THAT THEY
WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT
GOING TO BOSTON OR WASHINGTON
D.C. OR ANY MAJOR METROPOLITAN
CITY.
BUT THEY WERE INSTEAD GOING TO
GO TO AN ISLAND THAT IS ONLY
REACHABLE BY BOAT AND AIRPLANE.
THEY WERE, ONCE THE PLANE
TOUCHED DOWN, THESE PEOPLE THAT
HAD BUILT TRUST IN THIS VERY
INSIDIOUS WAY ABANDONED THEM AT
THAT POINT.
THEY HAD GIVEN THEM, YOU KNOW,
CELL PHONE NUMBERS TO CALL WHEN
THEY WERE IN TEXAS SAYING WE’RE
GOOD SAMARITANS.
WE JUST WANT TO HELP YOU.
THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW,
SERVICES AND JOBS WAITING FOR
YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.
PEOPLE STARTED DESPERATELY
CALLING ONCE THE PLANE LANDED.
AND NO ONE WAS WAITING FOR THEM,
SAYING WHAT IS GOING ON.
NO ONE WAS ON THE OTHER END OF
THOSE LINES ANY MORE.
GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND HIS
ACCOMPLICES HAD USED THEM FOR
POLITICAL PURPOSES.
WERE DONE WITH THEM AND A BARN
DONED THEM AT THAT POINT.
>> BUR LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION
ABOUT THAT.
THE GOVERNOR TALKED ABOUT AND WE
SEE IN STATE RECORD THERE SAY
CONTRACTOR BEING PAID TO HANDLE
THE LOGISTICS OF ALL OF THIS.
MIGHT THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF HAVE
PLAUSIBLE DENY ABILITY IN THE
ACTIONS OF THE PAID
SUBCONTRACTORS?
MIGHT THIS LAWSUIT BE BETTER
DIRECTED AT THE CONTRACTORS
WORKING AND ACTUALLY DOING THOSE
ACTIONS?
>> WELL, WE HAVE SUED BOTH
GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND HIS
ACCOMPLICES.
BUT THE LIABILITY RUNS STRAIGHT
TO THE TOP.
THIS WAS GOVERNOR DESANTIS’
PLAN.
HE STOOD UP THE SECOND THE
PLANES ARRIVED AND SAID I DID
THIS.
SO THAT IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IT IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY
THAT THIS, THERE WAS THIS FRAUD
AND MISREPRESENTATION THAT
INDUCED OUR CLIENTS TO FLY.
HE KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO ONE
WAITING ON THE OTHER SIDE.
HE KNEW THAT THIS WAS
INTENTIONALLY PLANNED, THAT
THERE WAS NO NOTICE.
SO NO, THERE IS NO DENY ABILITY
THERE.
HE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
AND IS HE GOING TO HAVE TO
ANSWER TO THAT IN COURT.
>> WE ARE TALKING TO ORRIN
FELSTROM ON BEHALF OF THE
MIGRANTS.
WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU
WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU
>> WE ARE BACK WITH ORRIN FEL STROM LAWYERS REPRESENTING THE MIGRANTS THAT WERE SHIPPED
TO AT FIRST MARTHA’S VINEYARD
AND NOW ON CAPE COD.
IN THE BIGGER PICTURE THAT THIS
HAS BROUGHT SO MUCH LIGHT TO,
YOU CAN’T IGNORE THE NUMBERS OF
MIGRANTS CROSSING THE BORDER IN
THE PAST YEAR HAVE EXPLODED, A
RECORD HIGH.
AND I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF
CONFUSION WHEN THIS ISSUE COMES
INTO PLAY, AND THE HEADLINES WHO
IS LEGAL AND WHO IS NOT.
THOSE MIGRANTS PRESENTED
THEMSELVES AT THE BORDER, MADE
ASYLUM REQUESTS YET OTHERS
DON’T.
EXPLAIN IN SORT OF LAYMAN’S
TERMS HOW IS THE BORDER MANAGED.
AND WHAT RIGHTS DO THE PEOPLE
HAVE WHEN THEY COME ACROSS?
>> OUR CLIENTS DID EVERYTHING
THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO AND WERE
REQUIRED TO DO UNDER FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION LAW.
YOU NEED TO BE IN THE UNITED
STATES TO REQUEST ASYLUM AND
THAT IS WHAT THEY DID.
THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION
AUTHORITIES PROCESS THEM AND
RELEASE THEM.
AND THEY ARE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED
TO BE IN THE UNITED STATES UNTIL
THEIR IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS
UNFOLD.
SO THAT IS THE STATUS OF OUR
PLANS.
AND IT WAS THEN AS I SAID THAT
GOVERNOR DESANTIS’ ACCOMPLICES
PREYED UPON THEM AND REALLY
EXPLOITED THE VERY VULNERABLE
SITUATION THAT THEY WERE IN
NOSHED TO INDUCE THEM INTO THE
POLITICAL STUNT.
>> SO WHEN THE GOVERNOR REFERS
TO THEM AS ILLEGAL ALIENS,
TECHNICALLY AND LEGALLY THAT
WOULD NOT BE A PROPER TERM TO
USE, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> WELL, THAT’S NOT A PROPER
LEGAL TERM FOR ANYONE.
BUT IT IS CERTAINLY THE CASE
THAT OUR CLIENTS AND THE CLASS
THAT WE SEEK TO REPRESENT ARE
LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO BE IN THIS
COUNTRY AND THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS SAID THAT UNLESS
AND UNTIL THERE ARE IMMIGRATION
PROCEEDINGS THAT SAY OTHERWISE,
THEY ARE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO
BE HERE.
SO IT IS REALLY A CASE OF STATE
INTERFERENCE IN FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION LAW WHICH IS ANOTHER
PROBLEMATIC PART OF THIS ENTIRE
STUNT THAT WE HAVE RAISED IN OUR
LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED THIS
WEEK.
>> AND IN THE NUMBERS OF
MIGRANTS, WHO ARE COMING OVER
WHO MIGHT BE DOING IT PROPERLY,
WHO MIGHT BE REQUESTING ASYLUM,
IS THERE, IF ARE YOU PART OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE OF IMMIGRATION
LAW AND ASYLUM SEEKING, IS IT
TENABLE NOW IN THE UNITED
STATES, IS IT DOABLE WITH SO
MANY PEOPLE REQUESTING ASYLUM.
>> THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ACROSS
THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM WHO
BELIEVE THAT IMMIGRATION REFORM
IS NECESSARY, THAT THERE NEED TO
BE, FOR EXAMPLE, MORE PATH WAYS
TO CITIZENSHIP.
BUT THE WAY TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION IS NOT TO USE HUMAN
BEINGS AS POLITICAL PROPS TO
MAKE A POINT, TO START THE
CONVERSATION THAT IS WHAT IS SO
APPALLING ABOUT WHAT GOVERNOR
DESANTIS HAS DONE.
AND WE HAVE HEARD FROM PEOPLE
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACROSS
THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM WHO SHARE
THAT VIEW, WHO REALLY OBJECT TO
THE IDEA THAT THIS WAS USING
HUMAN BEINGS AS PROPS, AS
OBJECTS, DENYING THEIR HUMANITY.
IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT IMMIGRATION
AND IMMIGRATION REFORM IN THIS
COUNTRY, IT’S GOT TO START FROM
A PLACE OF HUMANITY, FROM
RECOGNIZING THAT PEOPLE ARE
PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS SO
OBJECTIONABLE ABOUT THIS
POLITICAL STUNT THAT RON
DESANTIS PULLED IN THOSE LAST
WEEK AND A HALF.
AND WHY WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY
TO GO TO FEDERAL COURT TO STOP
THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE
FUTURE.
>> ORRIN, LAWYERS FOR CIVIL
RIGHTS IN BOSTON REPRESENTING
THE VENEZUELA MIGRANTS, WE
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, THANK YOU