EXCLUSIVE: Illegal migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis go shopping at Target, after being ferried from billionaires' enclave to Cape Cod military base

  • Migrants being housed on Cape Cod military base made a shopping excursion at Target on Saturday
  • Father Jean Carlo, 35, was joined by his wife Nancy, who bought a book for their son Fabian 
  • He said: 'We are just going shopping, looking for household items. We are trying to set up our situation’ 
  • The family told of a harrowing six-week journey on foot from Caracas, Venezuela to the US border
  • 'The accommodation at the base is good. The system is treating us well,' another migrant told DailyMail.com
  • Another group of five migrants was taken by bus to a clinic for urgent medical complaints on Saturday 
  • They were among 50 migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday 

Advertisement

Five of the Venezuelan migrants shipped from Martha’s Vineyard to Joint Base Cape Cod today enjoyed a shopping trip to a nearby mall – as revealed in DailyMail.com pictures.

A family of three and two young males – among the 50 originally flown to the exclusive Massachusetts island by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday - strolled around a Target excitedly gazing at the goods.

They were dropped off at smart Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis in the same yellow coach that had whisked them by ferry from Martha’s Vineyard the previous day to the massive military base on the mainland.

The bus also stopped at an urgent care center on the way to the mall to drop off five other migrants for evaluation after they had complained of various illnesses and conditions.

One of the migrants at the mall, Jean Carlo, 35, told DailyMail.com exclusively as he walked among the aisles in Target: ‘We are so very happy to be here at the mall and in America.

‘We are just going shopping, looking for household items. We are trying to set up our situation.’

Nancy and son Fabian browse the shelves at Target in Cape Cod on Saturday. They were among 50 Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Nancy and son Fabian browse the shelves at Target in Cape Cod on Saturday. They were among 50 Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Fabian's dad Jean Carlo told DailMail.com: ¿We are so very happy to be here at the mall and in America. We are just going shopping, looking for household items. We are trying to set up our situation¿
Fabian's dad Jean Carlo told DailMail.com: ¿We are so very happy to be here at the mall and in America. We are just going shopping, looking for household items. We are trying to set up our situation¿

Fabian's dad Jean Carlo told DailMail.com: ‘We are so very happy to be here at the mall and in America. We are just going shopping, looking for household items. We are trying to set up our situation’

Nancy initially had issues getting a debit card to work but a clerk was able to help the transaction go through

Nancy initially had issues getting a debit card to work but a clerk was able to help the transaction go through

¿We are very happy at the military base. It¿s very good for us there,' said the father, who does not speak English

‘We are very happy at the military base. It’s very good for us there,' said the father, who does not speak English 

They were dropped off at smart Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis in the same yellow coach that had whisked them by ferry from Martha¿s Vineyard the previous day to the massive military base on the mainland where they are now being housed

They were dropped off at smart Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis in the same yellow coach that had whisked them by ferry from Martha’s Vineyard the previous day to the massive military base on the mainland where they are now being housed

Carlo, in the store with wife Nancy and son Fabian, 11, continued: ‘We do not have any family in the United States, but we are determined to stay here. We do not want to go back. We want to work hard.

‘We are very happy at the military base. It’s very good for us there.’

The father, who does not speak English, was reluctant to give too many details about the exact route his family took from their home in the Venezuelan capital Caracas in order to cross the border from Mexico into Texas.

But he did tell DailyMail.com exclusively: ‘We walked all the way, through jungle and through desert. It took us more than six weeks and it was very tough.’

Carlo spoke as son Fabian delightedly sorted through DVDs before picking up a Lego set featuring Marvel characters that he pored over. The family headed to the cash register to pay for it, but mom Nancy could not get her Visa debit card to work.

The Lego was returned to the shelves and Fabian selected Disney book Gravity Falls, Journal 3 instead. This time Nancy went to a store assistant who helped her process the sale with the same card.

Carlo would not say if they had been given money to purchase anything, although many migrants do have access to their own accounts in their home countries. 

The family, seen shopping Saturday, said they walked to the US border from Venezuela, a harrowing six-week journey

The family, seen shopping Saturday, said they walked to the US border from Venezuela, a harrowing six-week journey 

Carlo (second from right), in the store with wife Nancy and son Fabian, 11, said: ¿We do not have any family in the United States, but we are determined to stay here. We do not want to go back. We want to work hard.'

Carlo (second from right), in the store with wife Nancy and son Fabian, 11, said: ‘We do not have any family in the United States, but we are determined to stay here. We do not want to go back. We want to work hard.'

The family would not say if they had been given money to purchase anything, although many migrants do have access to their own accounts in their home countries

The family would not say if they had been given money to purchase anything, although many migrants do have access to their own accounts in their home countries

One of the male migrants with the family, who did not want to be named, told DailyMail.com he wanted to buy cigars and was looking for a Western Union office in order to get cash.

‘We are being well treated,’ he said. ‘The accommodation at the base is good. The system is treating us well and everyone we have met is trying to help with our situation.’

Local shopper Chris Gary, 35, in the store with his own family, told DailyMail.com: ‘I don’t agree with these migrants getting sent here. I am a supporter of Ron DeSantis, but that wasn’t right.

‘However migrants are going to come here no matter what.

‘I think he chose the Vineyard because Barack Obama has a place over there and he though, oh we’ll just stick them over there and see what he thinks about it.’

Gary, a contractor married to wife Bethany, cited local homelessness and the paradox of the migrants being taken to the military base.

He insisted: ‘I don’t think we should take care of them. There are so many homeless people here. If you drive round here you’ll see there’s been a ton of homeless people this past summer, there has never been that before.

‘So there are legit homeless, they are not going to get a shelter at Joint Base Cape Cod. We need to take care of our own people before we take care of everybody else.’

Fabian and his mom Nancy, two of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, are seen shopping on Saturday

Fabian and his mom Nancy, two of the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard, are seen shopping on Saturday

After a payment issue with a set of Legos, young Fabian selected Disney book Gravity Falls, Journal 3 instead
This time mom Nancy went to a store assistant who helped her process the sale with the same card

After a payment issue with a set of Legos, young Fabian selected Disney book Gravity Falls, Journal 3 instead. This time mom Nancy went to a store assistant who helped her process the sale with the same card

Local shopper Chris Gary, 35, in the store with his own family, told DailyMail.com: ¿I don¿t agree with these migrants getting sent here. I am a supporter of Ron DeSantis, but that wasn¿t right. However migrants are going to come here no matter what'

Local shopper Chris Gary, 35, in the store with his own family, told DailyMail.com: ‘I don’t agree with these migrants getting sent here. I am a supporter of Ron DeSantis, but that wasn’t right. However migrants are going to come here no matter what'

And he believed local resources would be badly stretched if a significant number of migrants were moved to the area.

‘The Cape is a small community so putting a lot of refugees here would definitely mess things up.

‘It would strain resources, especially healthcare. As it is there is a lot of walk in clinics that always have long waits for people.’

Carlos and his family did not eventually buy any household items in Target. After about 15 minutes in the store they strolled out to enjoy the sunshine at the smart mall, which features stores such as Barnes & Noble and Dick’s Sporting Goods and is built in a muted New England clapboard style.

At Harbor Health in Hyannis, nurse practitioner Sabrina Ribeiro accepted in the other five migrants who were dropped at the facility before the coach continued to the shopping mall.

She told DailyMail.com: ‘They have come here for urgent matters.

‘They are in pain or they have something that needs to be followed up.

‘I still have to examine them. They are young men. We are going to treat them here, but we have no overnight accommodation. We were told yesterday to expect them.’

Martha's Vineyard declared an emergency over the migrants and called in the National Guard, prompting the immigrants to be moved 32 miles away to Cape Cod

Martha's Vineyard declared an emergency over the migrants and called in the National Guard, prompting the immigrants to be moved 32 miles away to Cape Cod

Pictured: A group of 50 migrants enjoyed Venezuelan dishes at the military base after Martha's Vineyard declared an emergency over the group's arrival

Pictured: A group of 50 migrants enjoyed Venezuelan dishes at the military base after Martha's Vineyard declared an emergency over the group's arrival

All the 50 migrants at Joint Base Cape Cod are free to leave at any time, immigration attorney Rachel Self is reported as saying.

Self, who accompanied them from Martha’s Vineyard to the military base told CBS Boston of the new digs: ‘There’s a cafeteria facility, bathrooms, they’re being fitted with all of their needs, sheets, towels.’

She said the migrants are free to move about within the facility, and also to seek permanent destinations in the United States. They have all been given cell phones.

The migrants’ shopping and medical trips come after DailyMail.com exclusively revealed a photo of them from inside the military base – and a video of a young man thrilled at having Venezuelan food for the first time in three months.

A local Venezuelan restaurant delivered some traditional fare of arepas, black beans, rice and plantain to the base hours after the migrants arrived.

And in the video obtained by DailyMail.com, the young unidentified man smiled as he said in Spanish: ‘We have had three months without Venezuelan food. This is like a blessing. Thank you.’

Other young men around him broke out into a chorus of ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’.

Restaurant owner Katyusha Aliened delivered the food to the military base on Thursday, but did not take the video.

She told DailyMail.com exclusively: 'The people inside told me they would like the opportunity to work, to work, to work.

'I have no idea if they have family in the United States. I don't believe they know how long they will be at the base. They all looked happy.'

The joy expressed by the migrants comes after days of confusion that began when they were brought to a Florida airport to be shipped off to Massachusetts.

Carlos Munoz hugged Larkin Stallings (left) in Martha's Vineyard as the group prepared to be moved to the military base miles away

Carlos Munoz hugged Larkin Stallings (left) in Martha's Vineyard as the group prepared to be moved to the military base miles away 

After declaring a national emergency, the migrants boarded a boat to leave Martha's Vineyard

After declaring a national emergency, the migrants boarded a boat to leave Martha's Vineyard

They're now staying at the Joine Base Cape Cod until they can find a more permanent shelter

They're now staying at the Joine Base Cape Cod until they can find a more permanent shelter

A spokesperson for DeSantis said in a statement that the trip was part of the state's 'relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.'

DeSantis had been following the cue of his Texas and Arizona counterparts, who are busing scores of migrants who crossed into the US illegally to New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

The Florida governor sent the group of 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard, where officials immediately bemoaned the situation, calling in the National Guard to relocate the group because the city allegedly had no shelters available.

US Rep Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, accused DeSantis of orchestrating a political ploy with the lives of the migrants.

'Playing politics with people's lives is what governors like George Wallace did during segregation,' Moulton said, referring to Wallace's tactics of tricking black Southerners to move north. 'Ron DeSantis is trying to earn George Wallace's legacy.'

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also took aim at DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a press conference today, urging other Republicans who do not agree with their ‘blueprint’ to ‘speak up’.

She said: ‘This is an issue and we have been clear about this, this is an issue that is inhumane it is abhorrent and we should not be using people, migrants, who are fleeing communism as a political pawn.’

DailyMail.com, however, found that dozens of modest properties and homes are available for rent on AirBnb on Martha's Vineyard.

Private rooms and small guest stays are on offer for $180 a night, which could have been used as a stop gap for the migrants to be housed.

Lisa Belcastro, homelessness director of the island, yesterday claimed that the affluent area has a 'housing crisis'.

Speaking after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planeloads of migrants to the pretty coastal town, Belcastro claimed that the island cannot support the addition of 50 more people.

Belcastro, who herself lives in a lavish four bed and four bath $3.6million property in a secluded part of the island, is one of the liberal officials who declared it a 'humanitarian emergency' – reacting as they would to a hurricane.

Her claims were backed by Gov. Charlie Baker, who said that Martha's Vineyard, with a population of 15,000, is 'not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation' to the migrants.

Speaking on Thursday DaSantis accused critics of his move to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard of 'virtue signaling', saying their concern for the welfare of the migrants was a 'fraud'.

He said: 'The minute even a small fraction of what those border towns deal with every day is brought to their front door, they go berserk, and they're so upset that this is happening.’

It comes after Abbott sent 101 of illegal migrants outside of VP Kamala Harris’ home in Washington DC yesterday – just days after she declared that the border was ‘secure’.

Texas has seen the brunt of the flood of new migrants arriving at the border, and nearly 1,000 migrants have been released to sleep on the streets of El Paso due to the surge of illegal crossings that is overwhelming Border Patrol facilities.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.