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Notes -
More developments in DeSantis' political stunt of sending some migrants to Martha's Vineyard.
If you didn't already know the migrants were not even in Florida when they got on the flight. The migrants started in San Antonio, Texas. The Bexar County Sheriff (which covers San Antonio) has announced a criminal investigation into the matter. They do not currently have the names of any suspects or particular statutes in mind that may have been violated but they have started an investigation. I'm not an expert on Texas law but it seems to me their law on unlawful restraint may be applicable. The law provides:
Did DeSantis' agents move a person from one place to another by deception such that the persons so moved did not consent? Seems like it to me! If any of the people so moved were children under the age of 17 the offense is a state jail felony otherwise it is a Class A misdemeanor.
On the civil front some of those same migrants have filed a class action lawsuit against DeSantis (maybe flying them to the island full of rich lawyers was unwise.) There are 12 listed causes of action in the complaint (starting on page 23 in the pdf). These range from violations of constitutional rights (since this was ostensibly done under color of law, using state government funds) to regular torts like false imprisonment, fraud, and infliction of emotional distress (intentional and negligent).
I would like to register a prediction that absolutely nothing will come out of any of these suits. At best, they will all be dismissed due to qualified immunity. But, more likely, today is the last time we are hearing about them.
I saw the narrative moving towards whether DeSantis had true spending authority from the state of Florida, and if that is the current mood than all the more serious things are already off the table.
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Honestly, this. If there's evidence of actual deception, maybe not ("want a flight to Massachusetts, near Boston?" is not technically wrong although misleading). If being dropped in Martha's Vinyard (not even in winter) is deemed a harm worthy of civil liability, surely some wiseass is going to cite that precedent on behalf of migrants claiming asylum who the feds dropped in (shudders) South Texas.
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Seconded. Anyone can file a lawsuit for anything and lawsuits are filed all the time; that doesn't mean they'll succeed. Most often a lawsuit is filed just for one to look like they are Doing Something and Taking Action, regardless of whether that something or action will have any actual effect.
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