DeSantis plans to resume migrants flights to Democratic areas

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to resume sending migrants to Democratic strongholds once the Sunshine State finishes dealing with the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, his spokeswoman said.

Two charter flights — to Delaware and Illinois — were scheduled to take place before Oct. 3, according to documents made public on Friday.

But they were postponed after Ian struck late last month, DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske told The Associated Press.

“While Florida has had all hands on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program remains active,” Fenske wrote in an email Saturday.

DeSantis outraged Democrats when he flew about 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, without warning on Sept. 14.

The island is a popular summer vacation spot for left-leaning celebrities and top Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, who bought an $11.75 million estate on the Edgartown Great Pond in 2019.

Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature authorized $12 million in spending to relocate people who entered the country illegally from Florida to other locations.

Although the flights to Martha’s Vineyard originated in Texas, they stopped in Florida en route.

The records released by the Florida Department of Transportation showed that DeSantis’ paid Vertol Systems Co. of Destin, Fla., $950,000 to arrange the follow-up flights.

The company even sent a worker to the state capital of Tallahassee to retrieve a check for the full amount after state officials didn’t get the paperwork needed to make a direct deposit, according to the documents.

Following the postponement, Vetrol extended the deadline for the trips to take place to Dec. 1.

On Sept. 20, the White House acknowledged it had “received word” that a planeload of migrants sent by DeSantis was expected to land at an airport near President Biden’s $2.7 million vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Biden even sarcastically invited DeSantis to “come visit,” adding: “We have a beautiful shoreline.”

But the plane never arrived in Delaware and instead landed in Teterboro, N.J., without any migrants on board.

With Post wires