DeSantis migrant dumps come with political risks

ORLANDO, Fla. – Ron DeSantis’s decision to fly dozens of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard marked the latest — and one of the most dramatic — efforts by the Florida governor to court conservatives at home and nationally as he positions himself for a 2024 presidential run.

The arrival of two plane loads of migrants — most of whom appear to be from Venezuela — in the elite Massachusetts resort town signaled a drastic escalation of a tactic used by several Republican state officials in recent months to protest the rise in illegal immigration under the Biden administration.

For DeSantis, a rising Republican star, the stunt appeared tailor-made to woo the GOP’s conservative base as he seeks a second term in the governor’s mansion and weighs a potential White House run. But the move could also carry political risks, especially in a state that has long been a destination for migrants fleeing oppressive governments in Latin America.