Florida’s Freedom First Budget included $12 million for a program to “transport unauthorized aliens” out of the state, including locations such as Martha’s Vineyard.
Two planes carrying dozens of Venezuelan migrants landed on the small Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the direction of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
This comes after the governors of Texas and Arizona sent thousands of migrants on buses to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. in recent months.
Upon arrival in Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, the migrants were provided with meals, shelter, health care and information about where to find work. They have since been moved to a military base on Cape Cod.
Following their arrival on the island, people on social media have claimed that DeSantis allocated $12 million in Florida’s budget to transport migrants out of the state.
THE QUESTION
Did Florida allocate $12 million to transport migrants out of the state?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, Florida allocated $12 million to transport migrants out of the state.
WHAT WE FOUND
In June 2022, DeSantis signed the 2022-2023 Freedom First Budget, totaling $109.9 billion. That budget allocated $12 million for a “program within the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to transport unauthorized aliens” out of the state.
A handout from the governor’s office sent to VERIFY sister station WTSP says the $12 million for that program is allocated to “facilitate the transport of illegal aliens to Martha’s Vineyard and other sanctuary states.” DeSantis began proposing that Florida send migrants to the Vineyard and other locations as early as April 2022.
“The legislature gave me $12 million. We’re going to spend every penny of that to make sure that we’re protecting the people of the state of Florida,” DeSantis said during a press conference on Sept. 16.
Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’ communications director, confirmed the two planes that landed in Martha’s Vineyard “were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.”
The Center for Immigration Studies defines sanctuary states as those with “laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement.” Its list of sanctuary states includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state.
Records show that the state DOT paid $615,000 to Vertol Systems Company, Inc., an aviation company based in Oregon and operating in Destin, Florida, on Sept. 8 for the state’s “relocation program of unauthorized aliens.” The payment was made nearly a week before the planes arrived at Martha’s Vineyard.
VERIFY reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation for further comment about the company’s role in the flights to Martha’s Vineyard, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.
DeSantis’ office did not respond to an emailed question about the cost of flights to Martha’s Vineyard.