Immigrants brought to Martha’s Vineyard as part of an anti-liberal political stunt by Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis were given brochures falsely promising cash assistance, job placement services and more, according to their lawyers. Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights, which represents about 30 of the immigrants dumped on Martha’s Vineyard, shared links to photos of the brochure via Twitter. The group says the immigrants received the pamphlet “at some point during their deportation and relocation from Texas and Florida.” The reference to the Florida relocation is unclear because DeSantis’ office previously confirmed that the planes were chartered to transport the 50 migrants from Texas, not Florida. Civil rights attorneys and DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NPR previously reported that a woman immigrants identified as “Perla” promised them work permits in Boston, but links to photos of the flyer were tweeted Monday and reported by Popular Information. Immigration attorney Matt Cameron told the publication that the benefits in the brochure are resettlement benefits for refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and authorized to live in the United States, but are not available in Massachusetts to immigrants who still to seek asylum. The Massachusetts Refugee Benefits brochure describes benefits that include “up to 8 months of cash assistance,” “job placement, retention and upgrading services,” “housing assistance,” food, clothing, and more. Civil rights lawyers also released their demands for a federal and Massachusetts criminal investigation into DeSantis’ decision to transfer the migrants, who were taken to Cape Cod for “sanctuary and humanitarian support,” according to the governor’s office. . “Our customers were induced to board planes and cross state lines under false pretenses,” they alleged in both letters. “Individuals, working in concert with the Governor of Florida, made many false promises to our clients, including job opportunities, education for their children and immigration assistance, in order to induce them to travel.” On the air, they wrote, their clients learned they were destined for Martha’s Vineyard, not Boston, and those who had “induced” them to travel under “these false pretenses disappeared, leaving our clients to learn that offers of assistance were all a ploy to exploit them for political purposes”. Lawyers say many of their clients were put up in hotels, paid by those making false statements, until there were enough people to fill the planes. They have documentary evidence, including photographs, that will allow law enforcement to identify the alleged perpetrators, as well as documents their clients were required to sign, they wrote. “This type of conspiracy to deprive our clients of their liberty and civil rights and interfere with federal immigration proceedings must be thoroughly investigated for violations of the criminal laws,” they wrote. DeSantis said the migrants were taken voluntarily and that they knew where they were going because they signed a waiver and were given a map of Martha’s Vineyard, according to CNN. Civil Rights Attorneys say immigrants bound for Martha’s Vineyard received this pamphlet promising cash, job placement and more. Lawyers for Civil Rights brochure given to immigrants bound for Martha’s Vineyard. Civil Rights Lawyers
