In what has turned into a national controversy, Republican Governors Greg Abbott, R-TX, and Ron DeSantis, R-FL, have been sending migrants up north, from their southern states. While Gov. Abbott has been busing migrants to major northern cities for months, Florida’s DeSantis is now following in his footsteps, last week flying two planes filled with Venezuelan immigrants to former President Barack Obama’s vacation spot – Martha’s Vineyard. Straight Arrow News contributor Adrienne Lawrence argues this is a political stunt that is not only “beyond inhumane,” it very well may violate international law:

For several months now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been busing migrants from the border to select blue states as a passive-aggressive political stunt. Using Texans’ taxpayer funds, he’s dropped them off in the dead of the night in Chicago, left them on the streets of Washington D.C., and kicked them to the curb in lower Manhattan, forcing other state governors and city mayors to step up. And last week Ron DeSantis figured he’d get in on the action too. The Florida governor proudly used his taxpayers’ funds to fly some fifty migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, where the small island had to use their hurricane response resources to feed, shelter and care for the vulnerable group.

DeSantis’s actions were appalling on their face. But then to learn that the Florida governor had reportedly picked up these migrants from Texas, and lured several them onto the planes with promise of being flown to Boston to get expedited work papers, now that was beyond inhumane.  Many, if not most, of these individuals are refugees, fleeing deadly circumstances and oppressive states, only to be lied to by the first American who offers a helping hand, left scared and alone and lied to. If both governors are orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to target and lie to these migrants so they can be used as political pawns, their actions may violate a host of federal laws. They’re transporting vulnerable people across state lines, misrepresenting where they’re going and promising them work. Last I checked, this is along the lines of what human traffickers do.

Additionally, I’d like to think DeSantis and Abbott may also be in violation of international law. I’m not an international law attorney, but there’s gotta be something violative here… The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and so on.

People in need of help deserve better than what DeSantis and Abbott are doing. If there’s going to be any deterrence as it concerns this type of disgusting and destructive behavior, there must be consequences. Our federal government needs to step up and stop acting as though certain people are above the law. Hopefully, We The People in Florida, Texas and other red states, will be doing what’s necessary to elect leaders who put decency and democracy first.