With the midterm elections approaching, the confrontation between the two parties over immigration in the United States is becoming increasingly acute. The Republican governor of Texas "dumped" immigrants to vice president Harris's doorstep; The Republican governor of Florida chartered a plane to "airlift" migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, a famous island of wealthy Americans where former U.S. President Barack Obama owned a mansion worth $12 million.
According to the New York Post reported on September 16 local time, the arrival of immigrants has triggered chaos on Martha's Vineyard, and local residents have called for the Obamas to open their mansions and resettle these immigrants. The migrants have been taken off the island by the Massachusetts government and placed in a military facility on the nearby Cape Cod Peninsula.
Screenshot of the report
On September 14, local time, Ron Desantis, the governor of Florida, arranged two planes to "airlift" illegal immigrants received by the state to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, leaving them "dumped to other progressive states."
Previously, Democratic states such as Massachusetts, New York and California had supported the creation of "sanctuary states" and "sanctuary cities" for immigrants in support of the Biden administration's open border policy. DeSantis said at a press conference on the 15th, "We (Florida) are not a sanctuary state anyway."
The New York Post reported that although only more than 50 migrants landed on Martha's Vineyard, it threw chaos into chaos at the world's well-known summer resort for the wealthy, and officials on the island called the arrival a "humanitarian crisis."
The migrants were temporarily housed in a local church. On September 16, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called up the National Guard, ending the local state of emergency. They took the migrants off the rich island and settled them at joint base on the nearby Cape Cod peninsula, a military facility for the U.S. military.
The Governor of Florida charters a plane to send immigrants to Massachusetts Image: Office of the Governor of Florida
In response to the storm, elizabeth Osborn Bostrom, a local resident, said in an interview that she "spent most of her time outside the town" to avoid riots.
"People here have their doors open, it's safe here, and usually there's no real crime." Bostrom said, "They (immigrants) come here and I'm not angry, but I'm a little wary. I locked the door. ”
For Florida Governor DeSantis, who "airlifted" residents to this place, Bostrom also expressed understanding, "I don't blame DeSantis at all. He's trying to draw attention to America's current problems, which are not anti-immigrant moves, but that bring America's biggest problems to people's doorsteps. ”
Migrants arriving on Martha's Vineyard Image: The Associated Press
Jane Chittick was a former official on Martha's Vineyard before becoming a crime novelist. She lived on the island for 42 years.
In an interview, she targeted the island's wealthy group, led by former U.S. President Barack Obama. "I don't think people like the Obamas, who own huge properties and spend the summer here, care [about these immigrants]."
"They put up all sorts of signs: 'Private property,' 'Trespassing prohibited,' 'No entry,' 'Police patrolling.' The rich won't show up on the streets of town, much less in the churches where many immigrants were housed last night. ”
The Obamas own a $12 million mansion on Martha's Vineyard. Last August, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Obama hosted a grand party at the mansion to celebrate his 60th birthday, attended by hundreds of celebrity dignitaries.
In addition to the Obamas, wealthy people who own mansions on the island include former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, American comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Meyers, director Spike Lee, and Former Obama's assistant Valerie Jarrett.
The Obamas' mansion on Martha's Vineyard Source: The New York Post
The Obamas' mansion on Martha's Vineyard Source: The New York Post
"I would love to see the Obama family open up their mansions, set up tents, and take care of these immigrants." Chitic said, though she didn't expect that to happen.
"The people who live there are rich and far from real life." Chitic said she angrily denounced the rich as "liars" and that "these people like the fact that migrants are sent to the island, which makes them feel like they have helped these people." But unless these people come to work, the rich will never let immigrants into their homes. ”
Chitic said the wealthy elite in the United States began moving to Vineyard more than a decade ago, expelling most of the local working-class residents in search of a peaceful life on the island.
As for the lack of resettlement of migrants on Martha's Vineyard, staff at Harbour Homes, a non-profit organization on the island, responded: "We have no services to take care of these 50 migrants, nor have we resettled their homes." She claimed that there was a "housing crisis" on the island.
After the arrival of the migrants, they were temporarily placed in local churches Image source: Reuters
Data released online by Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce shows the island has "about 17,000 permanent residents throughout the year," but that when the rich come here in the summer to escape, "the population increases to nearly 200,000." And 63% of the island's homes belong to these "seasonal residents".
Julianne Vanderhoop, a 57-year-old baker on the island, said: "The rich spent millions of dollars to build houses and then kept them vacant. These houses are too big and too much built. ”
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