Texas sheriff says DeSantis made migrants victims of a crime by flying them to Martha’s Vineyard

A sheriff in Texas has made a case for the 49 migrants who were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard to remain in the United States. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that DeSantis’s actions made them victims of a crime.

The Texas Tribune reported that Salazar’s declaration will permit the migrants to apply for a special visa to remain in the United States.

“Based upon the claims of migrants being transported from Bexar County under false pretenses, we are investigating this case as possible Unlawful Restraint,” Salazar said in a statement made to WGBH.

“We have submitted documentation through the federal system to ensure the migrants’ availability as witnesses during the investigation,” Salazar added.

Rachel Self, who is an attorney representing the migrants said that any migrant who applies for the visa cannot be sent back to their homelands until their application has been processed — which can take six or seven years in extreme cases, Self said in a statement.

Self said: “No matter what your political beliefs are, these people are all crime victims. These certifications will ensure that the migrants can continue to help our law enforcement officials, and that they will be able to process and heal from the incredibly traumatic experiences they have suffered as a result of the cruel, heartless acts committed against them.”

The visas Salazar has recommended the migrants be given “U visas.” These visas are “set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” as per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

DeSantis has maintained that the migrants boarded the flights “voluntarily.”