Opinion |

Border problems not solved by migrant relocations

The expression “out of sight, out of mind” was first coined in the 1500s. Now it’s a commonly used phrase. I never imagined it would become a governing principle.

Many of us responded in disbelief to the recent story of the Venezuelan migrants — men, women and children — who were relocated to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., one of the wealthiest communities in our country. The migrants had endured a perilous, 3,000-mile journey to the U.S.-Mexico border, landing in Texas. Their transfer was orchestrated by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.

Transparency, it seems, was not part of the deal. The migrants said they were misled about where they were being taken, thinking the plane was bound for Boston. They were enticed to board with promises of employment opportunities and immigration relief. Midair, the migrants learned that they would be landing in Martha’s Vineyard, a small resort island 90 miles south of their supposed destination.

Immigration lawyers have gotten involved, claiming state interference with federal immigration matters and a violation of the migrants’ civil rights. And last Monday, Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, Texas, (where the migrants were sheltered) opened a criminal investigation into the flights.

DeSantis has defended his actions, claiming he was diverting migrants who had intended to go to Florida. He said the flights were voluntary and that the migrants were fully informed.

Democrats have suggested that DeSantis’ motivation was purely political: a way to show his strength on a perennially difficult national issue, in advance of a presidential run.

As New York Times reporters Remy Tumin and Michael Shear wrote, “The drama underscored the decades-old shortcomings of a backlogged immigration system groaning under the weight of thousands of migrants fleeing persecution and economic instability. And it demonstrated once again how easily the fate of immigrants can be swept up in a toxic political battle, especially in election season.”

To their credit, residents of Martha’s Vineyard welcomed their surprise visitors. But I couldn’t help bristling a bit at images of them bearing boxes of pizza. Yes, they provided momentary comfort to the migrants, but the impact to their community was tiny in comparison to what’s occurring at the border, with nearly 2 million encounters so far this year.

DeSantis succeeded in calling attention to our country’s failed border policy. It’s the fault of both parties, which seem more interested in fighting the political battle than winning the war. When I wrote about immigration — specifically, the border crisis — a year ago, I knew I’d be writing about it again.

Maybe it’s time for a national time-out to re-examine the issue, rather than using humans as political pawns.

DeSantis isn’t alone in doubling down on what is a record influx of migrants. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas blazed the trail; in April, he began shipping busloads of undocumented migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City. Mayors of both cities have said their resources are strained.

Recently, Abbott sent two buses of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. It made for a perfect photo op, even if Abbott wasn’t in the picture: dozens of men, women and children carrying their belongings in trash bags, sitting outside the gates.

At least Abbott is governor of a border state, with a stake in the game.

The actions by DeSantis and Abbott (as well as Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has sent 2,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., since May) have historical precedent. As the JFK Library explained on Twitter, southern White Citizens Councils started “Reverse Freedom Rides” in the 1960s, giving Black people one-way tickets to northern cities, along with false promises of jobs, housing and better lives.

But there’s a big difference between what happened 60 years ago and current events. The Reverse Freedom Rides were organized by a group of racists who were considered societal outliers. The transfers today — equally cruel — are being organized by elected officials.

Others can and will debate the legality of DeSantis’ actions. To me, they represent another blow to civility. After all, the migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard followed our rules; they had been processed by federal immigration authorities at the border and released. And presumably, they wanted to find work, having endured so much to make a fresh start in our country, where millions of jobs go unfilled.

With these boxes checked, I wonder what more the migrants needed to do. In a civil society, “out of sight, out of mind” is neither a just nor humane strategy. We can and must do better.

Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center, a San Diego-based group working to create solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit ncrconline.com