Some Stories Do Have Happy Endings

Good for them.

TALLAHASSEE — Some of the 49 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration are now able to work legally in the United States and have temporary protections from deportation because they are considered victims of a potential crime, their attorney says.

The migrants are eligible for protection because they applied for a special kind of visa meant for crime victims who are helping law enforcement investigate suspected criminal activity. They applied for what are known as U visas last year after they said they had been tricked into taking charter flights from San Antonio, Texas to the Massachusetts island with false promises of jobs and other aid, said Rachel Self, an attorney for the migrants.

The migrant flight program was designed to remove “unauthorized aliens” from Florida. But critics, including immigration advocacy groups, have pointed out that the migrants had legal status in the United States as asylum seekers and that they were found in Texas, not Florida.