>>THIS WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT, RECOVERY IN PUERTO RICO AS HURRICANE FIONA LEAVES DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE ISLAND FIVE YEARS AFTER MARIA.

AND THE DEBATE OVER IMMIGRATION AS CONTROVERSY SWIRLS AMID FLORIDA'S MOVE TO FLY MIGRANTS OUT OF TEXAS.

NEWSNIGHT STARTS NOW.

[MUSIC] HELLO, I'M STEVE MORT AND WELCOME TO NEWSNIGHT, WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIG STORIES IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA AND HOW THEY AFFECT ALL OF US.

JOINING US THIS WEEK IN THE STUDIO, NICK PAPANTONIS FROM WFTV, CHANNEL NINE.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE, NICK.

AND SKYLER SWISHER FROM THE ORLANDO SENTINEL COMING TO US, COMING BACK TO US HERE ON THE PROGRAM.

THANKS FOR COMING IN, SKYLER.

APPRECIATE IT.

WELL, PUERTO RICO IS ONCE AGAIN RECOVERING FROM ANOTHER MAJOR STORM.

THIS TIME HURRICANE FIONA, WHICH CAME FIVE YEARS AFTER HURRICANE MARIA DEVASTATED THE ISLAND.

I SPOKE THIS WEEK WITH LUIS MARTINEZ- FERNANDEZ A HISTORIAN AT UCF WHO SPECIALIZES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.

AND I ASKED WHETHER THE SCALE OF THE ISSUES FACING PUERTO RICO AFTER FIONA WERE EXPECTED.

>>THE POOR CONDITIONS OF THE ELECTRIC GRID AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE ISLAND ARE WELL KNOWN.

THEY ARE THE RESULT OF DECADES OF NEGLECT AND THAT MAKES PUERTO RICO VERY VULNERABLE WHENEVER THERE IS A MAJOR STORM OR HURRICANE IN THIS CASE, THAT THAT WILL CREATE MAJOR DISRUPTIONS.

>>WHY HAS PUERTO RICO HAD SO MUCH DIFFICULTY GETTING ITS GRID UP TO SPEED?

AFTER ALL, IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE HURRICANE MARIA.

>>THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMPLICATED.

AND THERE'S NOT JUST ONE PARTY.

AND BY THAT, I MEAN ONE PLAYER IN THIS WHOLE EQUATION THAT IS COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE.

THE LOCAL POLITICIANS WHO FOR DECADES NEGLECTED INVESTING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE ARE TO BLAME.

AND THE TWO PARTIES THAT HAVE CREATED THIS SITUATION ARE THE TWO CONTENDING PARTIES WHICH HAVE BEEN CONTENDING FOR POLITICAL CONTROL SINCE AT LEAST 1968.

SO THERE'S MUCH BLAME LAYS THERE.

AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER MARIA DID NOT WAS NOT AGILE IN TERMS OF SENDING THE NECESSARY FUNDING FOR PUERTO RICO.

THE BUREAUCRACY IS VERY SLOW.

AND I SUSPECT THAT THERE WAS SOME ILL WILL AS WELL THAT SLOWED THAT EVEN EVEN MORE.

SO I HOPE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPEEDS THIS UP.

THERE ARE ALREADY SOME MECHANISMS IN PLACE ON THE ISLAND TO AVOID SOME OF THE CORRUPTION THAT HAPPENED WITH MARIA.

WE ALL KNOW THAT SOME OF THE WATER AND OTHER ESSENTIALS THAT WERE SENT THERE FOR FOR IMMEDIATE CONSUMPTION WERE STORED IN WAREHOUSES FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS UNTIL THEY SPOILED.

THERE ARE SOME MECHANISMS, I'M GLAD TO REPORT, AND A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH GIVING SOME OF THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, SOME IF NOT CONTROL, AT LEAST SOME OVERSIGHT AND INPUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE HELP THAT ARRIVES ON THE ISLAND.

>>LUIS MARTINEZ- FERNANDEZ FROM UCF THERE.

NICK, LET ME COME TO YOU FIRST ON THIS.

YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES AT CHANNEL NINE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ISSUE IN PUERTO RICO EXTENSIVELY.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CONDITIONS ON THE ISLAND NOW?

>>THEY'RE MUCH WORSE THAN ANYONE EXPECTED, MAYBE A WEEK AND A HALF, TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN THE STORM WAS BARELY FORMING.

I MEAN, NOWHERE ON THIS PLANET CAN HANDLE 30 INCHES OF RAIN IN A LOCALIZED SPOT IN JUST A DAY OR TWO AND BE ABLE TO EMERGE UNSCATHED FROM IT, RIGHT?

SO YOU HAVE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGE, POWER OUTAGES STILL ALL OVER THE ISLAND.

HOMES IN THOSE LOCALIZED AREAS OR WITHOUT RUNNING WATER.

PEOPLE'S MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE GOING BAD.

FOOD IS GOING BAD.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES ANOTHER YEARS LONG RECOVERY PROCESS.

>>SKYLER, THE ORLANDO SENTINEL AND CHANNEL NINE AS WELL, HAVE BEEN COVERING THE RESPONSE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN SEEING FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MOBILIZING HERE?

>>WELL, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HAS REALLY SWUNG INTO ACTION PRETTY RAPIDLY.

BUT ONE THING THEY'RE DOING IS THEY ARE WANTING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THEY DON'T WANT TO BE DUPLICATING SERVICES.

SO THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO HEAR WHAT WHAT IS IN NEED.

AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO COLLECT AND SEND THAT TO THE ISLAND.

>>NICK, THIS HAS BEEN PART OF YOUR REPORTING THIS WEEK.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN FINDING?

>>WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT THEY'RE TAKING A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE RESPONSE THAN THEY DID POST HURRICANE MARIA BACK FIVE YEARS AGO.

REFUGEES WERE WELCOMED TO MAINLAND FLORIDA HERE, AND THEN THEY'D SHOW UP TO THE AIRPORT AND THERE WAS NO ONE TO GUIDE THEM.

THEY WERE KIND OF ON THEIR OWN.

AND SO WE'VE SEEN ORGANIZATIONS AT THE AIRPORT WAITING TO GREET ANYBODY THAT MIGHT NEED HELP.

WE'VE SEEN ORGANIZATIONS COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE NATION, AS SCHUYLER WAS SAYING, TRYING TO NOT DUPLICATE EFFORTS BETWEEN EACH OTHER, AS WELL AS NOT SEND UNNECESSARY ITEMS TO THE ISLAND THAT IT DOESN'T NEED AT THIS TIME.

>>SKYLER, AS NICK JUST MENTIONED THERE, A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT PREPARATION, RIGHT?

AND I ASSUME THAT LOCAL LEADERS HERE IN FLORIDA ARE PUSHING FOR ANSWERS FROM FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO.

AND IS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, YOU THINK, LIKELY TO LEARN THE LESSONS THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LEARNED AFTER HURRICANE MARIA?

>>SURE, YEAH.

I MEAN, IN TERMS OF HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE LOCAL LEADERS ARE DEFINITELY PRESSING THE ADMINISTRATION FOR DISASTER RELIEF, WHICH PRESIDENT BIDEN DID ISSUE AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION PRETTY QUICKLY AFTER THE HURRICANE HIT PUERTO RICO.

>>WHAT DOES THAT EMERGENCY DECLARATION DO?

>>IT'S GOING TO ALLOW THE ISLAND TO ACCESS, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY RELIEF TO HELP PAY FOR FOR REBUILDING THE ISLAND AND REPAIRS AND SUCH.

>>ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND MAKES THAT MAYBE EXPEDITED.

WHILE SEPTEMBER MARKS A BUSY PERIOD, OF COURSE, FOR TROPICAL STORMS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, REMEMBER, HURRICANE IRMA HIT FLORIDA FIVE YEARS AGO AS WELL.

AND DORIAN STRUCK OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE BAHAMAS AT THIS TIME IN 2019.

WHEN I SPOKE WITH JEFF GEORGE, CHIEF METEOROLOGIST AT OUR PARTNERS, THE FLORIDA PUBLIC RADIO EMERGENCY NETWORK, AND I ASKED HIM WHY PUERTO RICO EXPERIENCES SUCH SEVERE FLOODING AFTER STORMS.

>>WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS.

YOU HAVE THE RAIN AND THE RAIN BANDS THEY'RE ABLE TO FORM AND THE STORMS CAN ACTUALLY GET BIGGER NOW THE RAIN OR I SHOULD SAY THE MOUNTAINS CAN ACTUALLY START TO SHEAR THE STORM APART IN THE LOWEST LEVELS.

BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF TERRAIN LIKE THAT, YOU GET THE RUNOFF FROM THE RAIN AND IT STARTS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE VALLEYS AND THAT WATER SOMETIMES HAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

>>JEFF GEORGE FROM FPREN THERE.

NICK WE HAVE OUR EYE AT THE MOMENT ON ANOTHER TROPICAL SYSTEM IN THE IN THE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST PUERTO RICO, RIGHT?

THAT CAN EXPERIENCE SEVERE FLOODING.

WE'VE SEEN THAT HERE IN FLORIDA.

>>ANYWHERE THAT GETS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RAIN IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IS GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE ABSORBING THAT WATER.

SO WE HAVE MANY, MANY LAKES, PONDS, RIVERS HERE, LOW LYING FLORIDA AREA.

AND, WHILE, WE CAN HANDLE AN AFTERNOON RAINSTORM.

WE'VE HAD MANY OF THOSE AFTERNOON RAINSTORMS RECENTLY JUST WITH THE WET, RAINY SEASON OVER THE SUMMER AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, JUST EXTENSIVE AMOUNTS OF AFTERNOON RAIN.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BOUNCING AROUND OUR NEWSROOM RIGHT NOW IS CONCERNS THAT IF WE DO GET A STORM COMING IN NEXT WEEK, THAT WE - OUR PONDS AND LAKES AND OUR RIVER SYSTEMS ARE PRETTY FULL RIGHT NOW.

AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS EFFICIENT IN ABSORBING THAT WATER QUICKLY AS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN, SAY, BACK IN MAY.

>>AND LOCAL BROADCASTERS LIKE YOURSELVES AND YOUR METEOROLOGISTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE WHEN OUR STATE FACES STORMS.

>>YEAH.

I CAN'T SPEAK ENOUGH TO THE WORK THAT THE METEOROLOGISTS DO, NOT JUST DURING THE STORMS WHEN WE'RE IN THAT WALL TO WALL COVERAGE BUT AHEAD OF THAT STORM, RIGHT?

GETTING EVERYBODY PREPARED.

I MEAN, THE FACT THAT WE KNOW WHERE THE STORM IS GOING TO BE SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY HITS SOMEWHERE, THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE EXPERIENCE NOW, WHICH IS OFTEN THE JOKINGLY REFERRED TO AS THE HURRICANE PARTIES OR THE TROPICAL STORM PARTIES VERSUS WATCHING THE CLOUDS FORM, WATCHING THE WIND PICK UP LIKE THEY DID 100 YEARS AGO.

AND PEOPLE LOSING THEIR LIVES.

>>NO DOUBT IMPORTANT WORK.

A REMINDER, WE ARE RECORDING THIS PROGRAM ON THURSDAY MORNING SO THINGS CAN CHANGE BY AIR TIME AND THEY OFTEN DO VERY RAPIDLY IN THE TROPICS.

MEANWHILE, BE SURE TO JOIN THIS CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE'RE AT WUCFTV ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND ALSO ON INSTAGRAM.

ALL RIGHT.

NEXT TONIGHT, THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION.

THE WEEK'S NEWS HERE IN FLORIDA HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY THE DECISION BY THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION TO CHARTER FLIGHTS TO CARRY NEARLY 50 MIGRANTS, MANY FROM VENEZUELA.

FROM TEXAS TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

FIRST, LET'S HEAR FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THEN THE WHITE HOUSE.

>>WE'VE HAD PEOPLE IN TEXAS FOR MONTHS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE GETTING INTO FLORIDA?

WHAT'S THE MOVEMENT?

AND THE REALITY IS, 40% OF THEM SAY THEY WANT TO GO TO FLORIDA.

AND SO THAT'S A LOT.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY'RE COMING IN THROUGH WITH LIKE THREE PEOPLE IN A CAR AND THEY GO THROUGH IT'S HARD FOR US TO KNOW BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST COMING INTO THE STATE LIKE ANY OTHER CAR.

SO THERE'S NOT A BIG MOVEMENT.

SO THEY'VE BEEN IN TEXAS IDENTIFYING PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO COME TO FLORIDA AND THEN OFFERING THEM FREE TRANSPORTATION TO SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS.

AND SO THEY WENT FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD.

IT WAS A FLIGHT.

THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE BUSSES AND THERE WILL LIKELY BE MORE FLIGHTS.

BUT I'LL TELL YOU THIS, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE ME $12 MILLION.

WE'RE GOING TO SPEND EVERY PENNY OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

>>THESE WERE CHILDREN.

THEY WERE MOMS.

THEY WERE FLEEING COMMUNISM.

AND WHAT DID GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND GOVERNOR ABBOTT DO TO THEM?

THEY USED THEM AS POLITICAL PAWNS.

TREATED THEM LIKE CHATTEL IN A CRUEL, PREMEDITATED POLITICAL STUNT.

WHY ELSE WOULD GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAVE SPENT THE TIME TO CHARTER A FLIGHT TO TAKE MIGRANTS OUT OF A DIFFERENT STATE?

NOT EVEN HIS STATE, A DIFFERENT STATE, AND HIRE A VIDEOGRAPHER TO CAPTURE FOOTAGE OF THAT FLIGHT, BUT NOT BOTHER TO LET MASSACHUSETTS AUTHORITIES KNOW THAT MIGRANT CHILDREN IN NEED OF FOOD AND SHELTER WERE ABOUT TO LAND ON THEIR DOORSTEP?

>>WHILE THE MIGRANTS SENT TO MASSACHUSETTS HAVE FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT NOW AGAINST THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE ALLEGING A, QUOTE, "PREMEDITATED, FRAUDULENT AND ILLEGAL SCHEME."

AND THE FLIGHTS HAVE PROMPTED AN INVESTIGATION BY THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF IN TEXAS, A DEMOCRAT WHO SAYS THE MIGRANTS WERE LURED UNDER FALSE PRETENSES.

THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SAYS THE FLIGHTS WERE VOLUNTARY.

THE MIGRANTS SIGNED CONSENT FORMS AND WERE GIVEN A FRESH START, HAVING BEEN LEFT, QUOTE, "HOMELESS, HUNGRY AND ABANDONED IN SAN ANTONIO."

WELL, LET'S BREAK THIS DOWN INTO TWO PARTS.

FIRST, THE LEGAL ISSUES AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE REACTION IN THE VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY HERE IN FLORIDA.

NEWSNIGHT SPOKE WITH IVAN ESPINOZA-MADRIGAL, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, THE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING MANY OF THE VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS.

>>WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN UNPRECEDENTED EXPULSION AND RELOCATION OF IMMIGRANTS WHO HAD SURRENDERED THEMSELVES TO IMMIGRATION, BEEN PROCESSED BY IMMIGRATION.

THEY WERE KNOWN TO IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS.

THEY HAD PAPERWORK, FOR EXAMPLE, HUMANITARIAN PAROLE, ALLOWING THEM TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY.

THEN IMMIGRATION HAD ALSO SET UP APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULES FOR THEM TO HAVE A CHECK-IN TO HAVE COURT APPEARANCES.

SO IMMIGRATION WAS EXERCISING CONTROL AND POWER OVER THEM, AS IS APPROPRIATE UNDER OUR FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AND CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM.

NOW, TO INTERFERE WITH THAT IS UNLAWFUL.

IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR FLORIDA OR TEXAS TO INTERFERE IN THAT PROCESS, MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SHOW UP, SABOTAGE AND DERAIL THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR ALREADY ESTABLISHED FEDERAL IMMIGRATION APPOINTMENTS AND HEARINGS.

IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL.

WHETHER WE WANT TO CALL IT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING OR OTHER CRIMINAL OFFENSES, THIS REALLY INVOLVES A HOST OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL IMPLICATIONS, FROM FRAUD TO MISREPRESENTATION TO THE INTERFERENCE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT USURPS FEDERAL AUTHORITY.

ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS ARE INVOLVED, AND SO SOME OF THESE NEED TO BE PIECED OUT BY BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF PROSECUTING A CRIME THAT REALLY APPEARS TO BE KIDNAPPING EVEN HUMAN SMUGGLING.

AND FOR US, AS A LEGAL, ORGANIZATION, TO THINK THROUGH THE CIVIL LIABILITY ELEMENTS OF WHAT THIS INVOLVES.

AND SO THIS IS THIS IS COMPLEX BUT CLEARLY ILLEGAL, WHETHER YOU'RE PASSING IT THROUGH CRIMINAL OR CIVIL LENSES.

>>IVAN ESPINOZA-MADRIGAL, NICK, SOME OF THE MIGRANTS REPORTEDLY SAY THAT THEY WERE GIVEN MISLEADING INFORMATION, BOTH ON WHERE THEY WERE GOING AND WHAT THEY MIGHT FIND WHEN THEY GOT THERE.

GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS PUSHED BACK PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY AGAINST THAT.

BUT WHAT HAVE WE SEEN IN THE REPORTING ABOUT THE LITERATURE THAT THESE MIGRANTS WERE GIVEN BEFORE THEY ARRIVED ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD?

>>SO FIRST, WE UNDERSTAND THEY HAD TO SIGN CONSENT FORMS.

AND WE'VE SEEN A COPY OF THAT CONSENT FORM.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICED IS THAT THERE WAS AN ENGLISH SECTION AND A SPANISH SECTION THAT THEY ALL WOUND UP FILLING OUT BECAUSE IN THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY ARE USED TO, THE ENGLISH SECTION, SAID MASSACHUSETTS WAS THE FINAL DESTINATION.

THE SPANISH VERSION DIDN'T.

IT WAS JUST GENERIC.

SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE PICKED UP ON.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE GIVEN BROCHURES ON THE PLANES AS THEY WERE TOLD THEY'D BE GOING TO BOSTON, OR ACCORDING TO THEM, WASHINGTON D.C. WAS ALSO AN OPTION.

THE MASSACHUSETTS THE BROCHURES LOOKED LIKE THEY CAME FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BUT THEIR LAWYERS ARE SAYING THEY DIDN'T.

THEY INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT THESE BENEFIT PROGRAMS THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO ACCESS TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY WERE PROMISED BEFORE THEY GOT ONTO THE PLANE.

AND THE LAWYERS ARE SAYING NONE OF THE MIGRANTS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE LISTED ON THOSE SO-CALLED BROCHURES.

>>THEY DIDN'T QUALIFY BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THOSE LAWYERS, THESE WERE BENEFITS THAT ARE TARGETED AT REFUGEES THAT ARE BEING RESETTLED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

SKYLER, I MEAN THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION HAS KIND OF FRAMED THIS, RIGHT, AS AS AN ALTRUISTIC MOVE ON ITS PART.

IT'S SIMPLY LOCATING PEOPLE FROM THAT THAT WERE HOMELESS OR HUNGRY IN TEXAS AND SENDING THEM TO SANCTUARY CITIES THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH WITH BENEFITS.

HOW DOES THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE RESPOND TO THE CRITICISMS THAT IT'S BEEN RECEIVING?

AND ALSO THE LEGAL CHALLENGE FILED BY LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT BOTH SIDES, RIGHT, SEEM TO BE ACCUSING THE OTHER OF USING THESE MIGRANTS FOR POLITICAL THEATER.

>>YEAH, I MEAN, IN TERMS OF THE LEGALITY, THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT TRANSPORTING THESE MIGRANTS IF IT'S DONE VOLUNTARILY.

NOW, WHAT THE ACCUSATION IS, IS THAT IT WASN'T VOLUNTARY, THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY DONE THROUGH DECEPTION.

AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS REALLY PUSHING HARD BACK AGAINST THAT, SAYING THAT THIS WAS TOTALLY VOLUNTARY AND THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY HELPING THE MIGRANTS BY GETTING THEM TO A JURISDICTION WHERE THEY COULD RECEIVE SERVICES, HOUSING AND HAVE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.

>>AND ALSO MAKING PUBLIC THOSE CONSENT FORMS AS WELL.

NICK, ANOTHER POTENTIAL ISSUE COULD BE THAT LINE ITEM IN THE STATE BUDGET, RIGHT, WHICH WAS PASSED BIPARTISANLY BY BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.

THIS ALLOCATES THE $12 MILLION IN TO FUND MIGRANT TRANSPORTATION.

THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS RAISED INCLUDING FROM SOME REPUBLICANS, RIGHT, ABOUT WHETHER THESE FLIGHTS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THAT LINE ITEM.

>>SO THERE ARE TWO ISSUES WITHIN THAT.

NUMBER ONE, THE INTENTION OF THE LINE ITEM WAS TO TRANSPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OUT OF FLORIDA.

AND SO WITH THESE BEING MIGRANT WORKERS VERSUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BY SOME POLITICIANS ABOUT WHETHER THE PROPER GROUP WAS ON THAT PLANE, SO TO SPEAK.

BUT THE BIGGER ONE, AND I THINK THE ONE THAT'S GETTING MUCH MORE ATTENTION AT THIS POINT IS THE "FROM FLORIDA" SECTION OF IT, RIGHT?

THESE ARE THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION IS JUSTIFYING THEM AS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE FLIGHTS WERE ORIGINATED IN TEXAS, BUT THEY STOPPED IN FLORIDA.

THEN THEY MOVED UP TO MASSACHUSETTS.

THAT ISN'T FROM FLORIDA, AS - AS THE LINE ITEM DICTATES.

AND SO THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE COULD COVER HIM BY GOING BACK AND RETROACTIVELY CHANGING THE LAW JUST TO GIVE HIM THAT POLITICAL COVER.

BUT THAT IS WHERE THE BIG CONCERN LIES IS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU HELPING THE SITUATION IN FLORIDA BY TRANSPORTING THESE MIGRANTS FROM THE OTHER STATE.

>>AND AS WE HEARD FROM THE GOVERNOR, HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO SPEND EVERY PENNY OF THAT THAT $12 MILLION TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.

WELL, YOU CAN FIND A LINK TO THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED BY THE MIGRANTS IN THE US DISTRICT COURT IN MASSACHUSETTS.

IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT WELL, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE REACTION FROM THE VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY HERE IN FLORIDA.

WE SPOKE THIS WEEK WITH WILLIAM DIAZ THE FOUNDER OF THE ORLANDO CHAPTER OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION CASA DE VENEZUELA.

HE QUESTIONS GOVERNOR DESANTIS' REASONING.

>>FLORIDA IS NOT OUR BORDER STATE WITH WITH MEXICO OR CANADA.

SO WHAT KIND OF A ROLE IS HE PLAYING ON THIS?

WHY?

BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE IN TEXAS OR ARIZONA SAYS THAT THEY HAVE FRIENDS OR RELATIVES OR THEY PLAN TO COME TO FLORIDA?

IS THAT A, IS THAT A SIN?

IS THAT CLOSE ENOUGH FOR HE AND HIS GROUP OF REGIONAL OR STATE GOVERNMENT TO ACT?

AND PUT THESE PEOPLE IN PLANES OR BUSSES TELLING THEM THAT THEY'RE GOING TO A LOCATION WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE WORK, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE FOOD, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOUSING?

WE HAVE A POWER AND WE ARE WILLING TO EXERCISE THAT POWER THIS COMING NOVEMBER.

SO WE REQUEST THE GOVERNOR TO REVIEW HIS STORY, TO REVIEW HIS CONDUCT IN AND - AND WE CAN TALK AND WE CAN FIND A BETTER WAY.

WE ARE WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF LAW AND ORDER AND WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT USED NOT TO BE IMMIGRANTS.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE REGIME THAT WE HAVE IN OVER THERE, I MEAN, MY PEOPLES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO TO GET OUT.

>>ALL RIGHT.

SKYLER, LET ME COME TO YOU FIRST ON THIS ONE.

LUIS MARTINEZ-FERNANDEZ, WHO WE HEARD EARLIER ON PUERTO RICO, HE WAS A REFUGEE FROM CUBA IN THE 1960S, HE TOLD ME, AND HE SAYS HE EMPATHIZES WITH THE VENEZUELANS THEY WERE, TO QUOTE HIM, REFLECTIVE OF HIS STORY.

BUT THERE DO SEEM TO BE DIVISIONS RIGHT WITHIN THE VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY ON WHETHER THEY SUPPORT THIS MOVE OR NOT.

>>ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

I MEAN, THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT VIEWS.

I MEAN, THIS ISN'T A MONOLITHIC GROUP, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES AT PLAY.

I MEAN, THE ECONOMY, EDUCATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME VENEZUELAN AMERICANS WHO ARE OUTRAGED, FEEL LIKE VENEZUELANS ARE BEING USED AS POLITICAL PAWNS.

YOU HAVE SOME WHO ARE DEFENDING THE GOVERNOR AND SOME ARE CONFLICTED YOU KNOW, THEY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR, BUT THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT HE DID IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.

>>IT'S INTERESTING, ISN'T IT, NICK, THAT YOU DO HAVE THIS DIVISION, PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN TO THE UNITED STATES AREN'T NECESSARILY SYMPATHETIC TO THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET HERE.

>>NO, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO BROADEN IT AND PUT IT INTO CONTEXT, IT'S LIKE THE FLORIDIANS THAT CAME FROM OTHER STATES THAT WE'RE ALL FOR MOVING TO FLORIDA AND MYSELF BEING INCLUDED IN THAT GROUP.

BUT THEN THEY LOOK AT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW TRYING TO GET TO FLORIDA AND ARE SITTING THERE SAYING, PLEASE STAY HOME.

YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IS INDIVIDUAL.

EVERYONE - EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR OWN VIEWPOINT.

AND IT'S VERY HARD TO LUMP ANY PARTICULAR GROUP IN WITH ITSELF JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT STORIES WITHIN THAT GROUP THAT MAKE EVERYONE'S VIEWPOINTS DIFFERENT.

>>AND DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS HERE.

GOVERNOR DESANTO SAYS THAT FLORIDA HASN'T SEEN ANY LARGE INFLUX OF MIGRANTS RECENTLY INTO THE STATE, AND HE'S HAD TO GO TO TEXAS TO FIND THESE MIGRANTS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.

BUT HE HAS POINTED TO A LARGE SURGE IN MIGRATION FROM VENEZUELA AND ELSEWHERE TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

IS HE RIGHT THAT WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT JUMP?

>>YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE TOO SOON TO SAY WHETHER THE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE'VE HAD A JUMP HERE IN FLORIDA JUST BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME FOR THAT DATA TO COME OUT.

BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE GOVERNOR IS RIGHT THAT A LOT OF THESE VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS ARE COMING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BORDER DO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE SUNSHINE STATE.

THIS IS THEIR FINAL DESTINATION FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION.

SO HIS REASONING ON THIS, AS WE'VE KIND OF ESTABLISHED HERE, IS THAT IT'S EASIER TO GET THEM WHEN THEY FIRST COME ACROSS THE BORDER AND THEY'RE ALL IN THAT CENTRALIZED LOCATION THAN IT WOULD BE TO FIND THEM AFTER THEY MAKE THEIR WAY BY ONE CAR OR ONE BUS AT A TIME HERE IN FLORIDA.

AND SO HE'S SAYING, OH, LET'S PREVENT THEM FROM COMING TO THE SUNSHINE STATE TO BEGIN WITH AND SEND THEM TO SOMEWHERE TO GET MORE HELP THEY'LL GET MORE AID VERSUS FINDING THEIR WAY TO THIS STATE.

>>AND OF COURSE, THE VENEZUELA QUESTION IS IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, I THINK IN MARCH OF 2020 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC HAD INVOKED TITLE 42 OF U.S. HEALTH LAW TO ALLOW FOR EXPEDITED EXPULSIONS OF NEW ARRIVALS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

THAT DOES REMAIN IN PLACE.

BUT VENEZUELANS WE CAN'T JUST SEND THEM BACK TO VENEZUELA BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH WITH THE MADURO GOVERNMENT THERE.

AND OF COURSE THAT HAS BEEN A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS BEEN VERY FRAUGHT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND VENEZUELA, EVEN UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

>>CORRECT, YEAH I MEAN, ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE HAVE BEEN HEAVILY COURTING THE VENEZUELAN AMERICAN VOTE.

SO THERE'S SOME QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO BACKFIRE?

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN IN SOUTH FLORIDA HOLDING EVENTS, TRYING TO GET VENEZUELAN VOTES.

NOW THEY'RE SENDING VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD IN WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE CALLING A POLITICAL STUNT.

>>WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU MENTION THAT, BECAUSE HOW IS THIS PLAYING OUT THEN IN THE MIDTERMS?

I MEAN, MARCO RUBIO, THE SENATE SENATOR FROM FLORIDA, HAD BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF PUSHING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO REACH OUT TO VENEZUELANS IN FLORIDA.

HE'S ALSO BEEN HE'D ALSO BEEN PUSHING ALONG WITH SENATOR SCOTT FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR VENEZUELANS, WHICH, OF COURSE, WAS GRANTED.

HOW WAS SENATOR RUBIO RESPONDED TO THIS WHOLE MATTER?

>>YOU KNOW, I THINK SENATOR RUBIO AND OTHER REPUBLICANS VIEW THIS AS A WINNING ISSUE IN THE MIDTERMS ELECTIONS.

I THINK THEY WOULD RATHER BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE BORDER THAN TALKING ABOUT ABORTION, FOR INSTANCE.

SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED AND WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW.

AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE GOVERNOR DESANTIS WOULD LIKE US TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF, LET'S SAY, FOR INSTANCE, PROPERTY INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES ARE GOING UP.

LET'S SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PEOPLE'S RENT HAS GONE UP.

I THINK HE'D RATHER HAVE THE CONVERSATION FOCUSED ON IMMIGRATION AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE BORDER THAN THOSE ISSUES.

>>WELL, THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE POINTS THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN MAKING.

AND I WONDER WHAT THE DEMOCRAT RESPONSE HAS BEEN.

NICK, WHAT HAVE WE HEARD FROM FROM VAL DEMINGS AND OTHER DEMOCRATS?

AND DO THEY THINK THAT MAYBE THIS IS A MISTAKE BY THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION?

>>I MEAN, LIKEWISE, THE DEMOCRATS WOULD RATHER BE TALKING ABOUT CERTAIN ISSUES VERSUS OTHER ISSUES, RIGHT?

AND IN THEIR CASE, IT'S ANYTHING BUT THE ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, SO IF THEY CAN GET THE CONVERSATION TALKING ABOUT ABORTION OR TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF THE MIGRANT FLIGHTS GOING TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD, THEY'RE GOING TO STEER IT IN THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE THEIR PARTY, HISTORICALLY, THE ONE IN POWER, DOES NOT DO VERY WELL IN THE MIDTERMS.

AND RIGHT NOW, THE ECONOMY IS IN A LOT OF VOTERS MINDS NOT DOING VERY WELL AS WELL BECAUSE INFLATION IS NOT GOING AWAY AT THE MOMENT.

AND SO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO PULL OFF SOME SORT OF MIRACLE AND RETAIN CONTROL OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, HERE, THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE FOCUS IS ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE SOCIAL ISSUES AND NOT THE ISSUE THAT VOTERS TEND TO CARE ABOUT WHEN THEY CAST THEIR BALLOTS.

>>AND CHARLIE CRIST HAS CERTAINLY HIT THE GOVERNOR PRETTY HARD ON THIS MIGRANT ISSUE AS WELL.

SKYLER, LET ME JUST FINISH WITH YOU.

I'M WONDERING WHETHER YOU THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO SORT OF REPLICATE SOME OF THE POLITICAL SUCCESS THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT IN TEXAS HAS HAD IN MAKING THIS BORDER ISSUE A PROBLEM FOR BLUE CITIES LIKE NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, D.C., THE VERY DIFFERENT FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD, OF COURSE.

BUT IS HE TRYING TO REPLICATE SOME OF THAT?

>>YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, I WAS TALKING WITH A DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER ACTUALLY THIS WEEK.

AND WHAT HAS SURPRISED HIM IS THAT NORMALLY RIGHT BEFORE A GENERAL MIDTERM ELECTION, YOU WOULD SEE A CANDIDATE KIND OF GO TO THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TALK ABOUT WHAT HE'S DONE FOR THE EVERGLADES, WHAT HE'S DONE FOR TEACHER PAY.

YOU KNOW, INSTEAD, HE'S REALLY STICKING WITH THESE KIND OF RED MEAT ISSUE FOR CONSERVATIVES.

AND IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR AS TO WHY IT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, HE'S LOOKING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD TO 2024 AND THIS IS GETTING HIS NAME OUT THERE SOME MORE.

IT'S GETTING HIM ON FOX NEWS.

SO THAT PERHAPS COULD BE A REASON WHY HE'S HE VIEWS THIS AS BEING A FAVORABLE ISSUE FOR HIM.

>>IT'S A FASCINATING ISSUE.

AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT GOING DOWN THE ROAD.

WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON IT HERE.

ON NEWSNIGHT.

AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE MIDTERMS NEXT WEEK ON THE PROGRAM.

IN THE MEANTIME, YOU CAN HEAD ON OVER TO OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT WELL THAT IS ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK.

MY THANKS TO SKYLER SWISHER FROM THE ORLANDO SENTINEL.

NICK PAPANTONIS FROM WFTV, CHANNEL NINE, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8:30 HERE ON WUCF.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT NEWSNIGHT, TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK.