Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard now considered crime victims to obtain work visas

A legal immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2021 said Wednesday he was "flabbergasted" that illegal immigrants who were flown to Martha's Vineyard are considered crime victims.

Some of the 49 migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard by Florida officials in 2022 may be given the right to work and at least three have been given work visas. Their attorney has claimed Florida officials "tricked" the migrants into boarding the planes from Texas. 

The visas, designated for crime victims, are known as a "U Visa," "Fox & Friends First" host Todd Piro reported. 

"According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U visas are set aside for, quote, 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," he noted.

"It seems like our country, what America was known for, which is the rule of law, is changing right before our eyes, Alma Ohene-Opare said in response.

MIGRANTS FLOWN TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD ON FLIGHTS COORDINATED BY DESANTIS CAN SUE AVIATION COMPANY

Aerial view of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on the resort island of Martha's Vineyard. Oak Bluffs is famous for charming gingerbread houses, small harbor and, like all of Martha's Vineyard extraordinarily high costs of real estate and living. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)

"The fact that you have lawyers and judges who are willing to kind of manipulate the system to create this process that is unfair to legal immigrants and basically letting illegals have their way. I don't think it orders well for our country going forward," added Ohene-Opare, host of the Restitch America podcast.

Ohene-Opare said it's "astonishing" Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sending the illegal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard would be twisted to be considered a crime.

"This is the place where people virtue signal and claim they care. And if they care about people, why couldn't they offer them the support they needed?" said Ohene-Opare, who also added that it is "crazy" to be considered a crime or "emotional abuse." 

"I think what is emotional abuse is people like my little sister, who was admitted to a college here in the U.S. who was not allowed to get a visa, who was denied a visa after a 92nd interview. That is what causes emotional abuse, not being flown to Martha's Vineyard for a couple of days."

Martha's Vineyard, MA - September 16: Venezuelan migrants gather at the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal. The group was transported to Joint Base Cape Cod in Buzzards Bay. (Photo by Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Boston Globe)

Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, Texas, certified that those illegal migrants formerly within his jurisdiction that were flown to Massachusetts are qualified for the visas after an investigation by the county's Organized Crime Division.

Salazar has previously recommended that the Bexar County district attorney bring charges for crimes related to deceptive tactics of transporting the migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

"The Governor of Florida orchestrated the abduction of 49 human beings. The actions of all those involved in this scheme were criminal," attorney Rachel Self accused in a statement following the U visa eligibility announcement. "The Bexar County DA’s inaction in this matter is concerning and cannot be understated."

DeSantis had the migrants flown to the Massachusetts island to highlight the Biden administration's border policies, which have been heavily criticized by Republicans amid record-numbers of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. 

His initiative has run parallel to similar red state to blue state migrant flights in Texas.

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Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report

Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.