Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) sent two private planes with about 48 migrants from Venezuela and Columbia to Martha’s Vineyard Airport on Wednesday afternoon as part of the state’s relocation program to transport undocumented immigrants "to sanctuary destinations," reports Brooke Kushwaha of The Vineyard Gazette. 

"... [T]his endeavor is a cruel ruse that is manipulating families who are seeking a better life," Massachusetts Sen. Julian Cyr (D). "No one should be capitalizing on the difficult circumstances that these families are in and contorting that for the purposes of a ‘gotcha’ moment."  

According to Sen. Cyr, the planes originated in San Antonio, Texas, "and appeared to be part of a larger campaign to divert migrants from border states," notes Kushwaha.  

To help with relief efforts, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School provided migrants with water and snacks, with two people coordinating interpreters. Meanwhile, Edgartown Fire Chief Alex Shaeffer stepped in to coordinate with St. Andrews Episcopal Church to give migrants a space to sleep overnight.  

"[The migrants] came with folders with a pamphlet with our information," said Beth Folcarelli, chief executive officer of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. "We don’t have refugee services; I had no idea about any of this. I only found out because one of them gave me their folder. Imagine being dropped in here knowing no one. Absolutely no one. It’s heartbreaking." 

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has since activated state emergency management resources, per Sen. Cyr.  

For more on the politics of the situation, see Lisa Kashinsky’s piece in the Massachusetts Playbook. 

Meanwhile, in D.C., two buses of migrants originating in Texas arrived outside of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence, in what Martin Austermuhle of WAMU noted on Twitter as potentially a "staged event." 

It’s worth noting that these are human beings seeking protection. They are people fleeing danger and persecution — including children and families — exercising their human and legal rights to seek safety in the United States. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not as pawns in a political stunt. 

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Becka Wall, the Forum’s digital communications VP. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH — Today marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts through Oct. 15. "It celebrates a vast community of Americans who have made invaluable contributions to the United States for over 300 years," Margie Huerta, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque told USA TODAY’s Marc Ramirez. "Hispanic and Latinx people are making important contributions to American arts, culture and humanities, and all aspects of society, every single day." 

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER — The Biden administration is quietly urging Mexico to accept more migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela using Title 42, despite publicly trying to end the policy, reports a team at Reuters. "The U.S. effort to pressure Mexico on these three particular nationalities illustrates the depth of concern within the Biden’s Democratic administration about their border crossings," they write. In other border news, The Arizona Republic tells the story of 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, a boy who was shot and killed in Nogales, Mexico, via a border fence — by a U.S. Border Patrol agent almost a decade ago. It’s a four-part podcast series called "Rediscovering: Killed Through the Border Fence." For more from the Forum on the border, be sure to check out our recent explainer on migrant deaths at the border from Danilo Zak, and a reflection from Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez, our senior communications associate, on what it means to have a just border, after her visit to "The Wall/El Muro: What is a Border Wall?" exhibit at the National Building Museum in D.C. 

IMMIGRANT DETAINEES — A network of civil-rights groups, including the ACLU of Florida, have filed a 22-page complaint alleging abuses against immigrants detained at the Baker County Detention Center in North Florida, reports Michael Moline of The Florida Phoenix. The complaint urges the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and related government offices to cancel the agreement through the Baker County Sheriff Office and describes the department as "an unfit partner by every metric." Another coalition of immigrant rights groups have sounded similar complaints of alleged mistreatment at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia, including a case of sexual assault, per Emily Wu Pearson of WABE. 

PENDING DACA RULING — With the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) approaching, Dreamers remain in limbo about their futures, reports Kayla Young of WFAE. "Imagine you have everything stripped away. You get your driver’s license taken away. You get your ability to legally work taken away, your Social Security number," said Yahel Flores, who is one of about 23,000 DACA recipients living in North Carolina. "Imagine all that gets taken away. How do you provide for your family? … [These Dreamers] could be doctors; they could be lawyers; they could be electricians … And we’re taking away their possibilities."  Meanwhile, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy Stuart Anderson interviewed attorney Andrew Pincus for Forbes, explaining what’s at stake "for the more than 600,000 people whose lives depend on DACA." 

COMMUNITY GARDENS — Debora Merveille Elonga grew up watering and harvesting vegetables in her family’s garden back home in The Democratic Republic of the Congo. This summer, Elonga’s family was one of three immigrant or refugee families in Linn County, Iowa, that received a cultural community garden, thanks to a local environmental justice initiative, reports Brittney J. Miller of The Gazette. "For me, it’s very special," Elonga said. "I can have the garden at my house for the first time. … I’m so happy to see my (vegetables) grow up." An estimated 30 gardens will be constructed for vulnerable community members over the next three years — "gardens that can bolster both food security and cultural ties," notes Miller. Next door in Missouri, the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Charles Dunlap has more on community garden initiatives and entrepreneurship among refugees. 

Thanks for reading, 

Becka