NANTUCKET, Mass. — A flight destined for Nantucket Memorial Airport was initially believed to have similarities to the planes that unexpectedly left a group of almost 50 migrants on Martha’s Vineyard last month, sparking a frenzy overnight.
Those planes came from Texas and the flights were organized by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Sunday night, Nantucket police said they were contacted by Nantucket Memorial Airport Operations about a chartered flight out of Chicago and that they were preparing for a similar event involving migrants landing on the island.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/4AHKJ6XOLVBYVFLDSDDRQQFHWU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/FDGQHVFGVZHJJLCJMAAGXEWJLI.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/426F3QFF7FACDKCS6SKQWUC2RA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/VAFMADDZSBDG5N72FZOUNKEW5E.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/UD33ZMXQZFBTXK5O4KTDEDEPBE.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WFH5DIWB2FHPXOD6LHBMVBQYUA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7BERB2ATDRA25EQZQILORWWX6Q.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/2N3IAAHCERF3BD6GIMFOKRHDC4.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/JVUNEZUFTRBA5FMC44VR53NXFY.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/VWSNDSY2P5D23HYK5JRH7L2FUQ.jpeg)
Concerns of a copycat stunt were walked back late Monday morning when a town official confirmed that businessmen from an investment company were on the flight in question, not migrants.
In a statement, the official said, “The flight everyone is talking about is carrying business execs to a retreat here on the island. No migrants. False alarm.”
State Representative Dylan Fernandes told Boston 25 he was aware of the flight but didn’t want to speculate who may be onboard, adding that anyone who arrives will be treated dignity and respect.
DeSantis’ act was a tactic that Republican-led states have been deploying to move loads of immigrants to Democrat-run states as a form of protest against the rise of illegal immigration and draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration’s failed border policies.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2022 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Z2XO76I7KPAZAUTSFORFA34Y4M.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/IUUU5KOMINFE5OOSNKAFLTQNWI.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/IVB7ECROJVDNXNYR24MPGTBRUY.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BXYVUTDISRGF5JBULCNGQYAIXU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PWIVLR6FNRHUHAMFWP4Q47F3NI.JPG)