美国国家公共电台 NPR--Gov. DeSantis is facing a lawsuit from the migrants he sent to Martha's Vineyard

Gov. DeSantis is facing a lawsuit¹ from the migrants he sent to Martha's Vineyard

Transcript²

Migrants who were flown to Martha's Vineyard are suing Florida's governor and other state officials, alleging³ they were promised jobs and other benefits and lied to about their destination.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The political battle over the migrants brought to Martha's Vineyard last week on flights arranged by Governor Ron DeSantis is now becoming a legal one as well.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Yeah. This is a federal class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the mostly Venezuelan migrants. They say they were tricked into boarding planes from Texas to the small Massachusetts island. We've heard this story laid out by law enforcement. A Texas sheriff has opened a criminal investigation⁴ saying that people who had, quote, fallen "on hard times" and were "here legally," he said, were preyed⁵ upon for a video op.

MART?NEZ: NPR correspondent Tovia Smith has been following the story. Tovia, so, OK, a civil suit - what is the case being made here?

TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE⁶: So the claim is basically that these migrants were lied to, that they were duped into taking these flights to Martha's Vineyard. They say they were told they were going to Boston or another big city. So the lawsuit accuses DeSantis and his, quote, "accomplices⁷" of a "premeditated political stunt⁸," basically playing these migrants - for example, buying them shoes and food and promising⁹ them jobs and housing and immigration help. But when the migrants landed, they say there was no one there. And as one attorney put it, they were terrified. And this was after they'd already been traumatized by their journey from Venezuela to seek asylum¹⁰ here, as I heard from one man who didn't want his name used for fear of retaliation¹¹.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking Spanish).

SMITH: He says, "you risk your life to cross that jungle, and you get here, and people like this come to scam you, to play with your life, with your dreams, with your desire to help your relatives." And this man says, "my world fell apart." I should say that the migrants ultimately did get help from island residents. And they now moved off island, most to a shelter on Cape¹² Cod¹³, where they're getting services and where they're also starting to share in about $300,000 in donations.

MART?NEZ: Tovia, when it comes to damages, what kind of damages is the lawsuit seeking?

SMITH: The suit doesn't specify¹⁴ a number, but it seeks compensation for emotional distress¹⁵ and also punitive¹⁶ damages. One of the plaintiffs is an immigrant advocacy group called Alianza Americas, and the group's head, Oscar Chacon, explained it like this.

OSCAR CHACON: First and foremost, we want these actions to stop. And sadly, our system is built in such a way in which unless you hit people's pockets, they tend to continue to misbehave.

MART?NEZ: What has Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said about this?

SMITH: He continues to defend the move. He says he gave migrants, quote, more "resources" and "greener pastures."

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RON DESANTIS: They were provided an ability to be in the most posh sanctuary¹⁷ jurisdiction¹⁸ maybe in the world. And if you believe in open borders, then it's the sanctuary jurisdictions¹⁹ that should have to bear the brunt of the open borders. So that's what we're doing.

SMITH: DeSantis' office addressed the lawsuit specifically last night, shooting back at those accusing him of a political stunt by calling their lawsuit political theater. DeSantis, who is seen as a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination²⁰, insists that all migrants boarded the plane voluntarily, and his office attached a copy of a consent form they signed. But they made no mention of the claims that the migrants' consent was based on bogus promises. And I'll just add here, this is unlikely to be the end of this legal battle. As you mentioned, a criminal investigation is underway in Texas, and lawyers here in Massachusetts are also trying to build a case for state and federal charges, which could range from kidnapping to civil rights violations²¹. And law enforcement officials here say they are evaluating their options.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Tovia Smith. Tovia, thanks.

SMITH: Thank you.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 preyed   

v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生

参考例句：

• Remorse preyed upon his mind. 悔恨使他内心痛苦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He had been unwise and it preyed on his conscience. 他做得不太明智，这一直让他良心不安。 来自辞典例句

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 accomplices   

从犯，帮凶，同谋( accomplice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was given away by one of his accomplices. 他被一个同伙出卖了。
• The chief criminals shall be punished without fail, those who are accomplices under duress shall go unpunished and those who perform deeds of merIt'shall be rewarded. 首恶必办， 胁从不问，立功受奖。

8 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

9 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

10 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

11 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

13 cod   

n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗

参考例句：

• They salt down cod for winter use.他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃。
• Cod are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.北大西洋和北海有鳕鱼。

14 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

15 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

16 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

17 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

18 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

19 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

20 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

21 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。