The relocation of 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard last week continues to get under the skin of the Democrats and legacy media outlets. The Floridian has provided proof that Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the migrants food, shelter, and a shower when initially found homeless near the border.
Additionally, the decision to be relocated to Martha's Vineyard was completely voluntary and the migrants signed consent forms expressing their willingness to be sent there. As such, Megan Smolenyak at Medium has attempted to draw an equivalency between the migrants and DeSantis' great-great-grandmother, Luisa (born Luigia) Colucci, herself an immigrant from Italy in 1913.
MSNBC anchor Mehdi Hasan took up the story on his news program on Monday:
Luigia Colucci was an Italian immigrant who came here in 1917, unable to read or write and thanks to what some on the right might call 'chain migration.'
She also happens to be the great-great-grandmother of Ron DeSantis - my commentary on his hypocrisy:pic.twitter.com/Osg2wTATpr
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 21, 2022
"Luigia Colucci was an Italian immigrant who came here in 1917, unable to read or write and thanks to what some on the right might call 'chain migration.' She also happens to be the great-great-grandmother of Ron DeSantis - my commentary on his hypocrisy," he tweeted.
The Twitter account DeSantis War Room called out Hasan Friday morning, saying that Luigia's story is still different from that of illegal immigrants today. Most prominently because Colucci's name was recorded at Ellis Island, while the names of illegal migrants remain unknown. Moreover, DeSantis War Room points out the absurdity of going through the trouble to dig up DeSantis' family history to try and make a point, rather than discussing the issues at the border now.
This MSNBC activist is not making the point he thinks he is. Legal migration is not illegal migration. The genealogist was able to find his great-great-grandmother's name because it was recorded at Ellis Island.
We don't know the names of the millions of illegal border crossers.
— DeSantis War Room 🐳 (@DeSantisWarRoom) September 23, 2022
"Left-wing media activists will literally go to a genealogist to investigate Governor DeSantis' great-great-grandmother instead of reporting on Biden's Border Crisis," the initial tweet reads, followed by "this MSNBC activist is not making the point he thinks he is. Legal migration is not illegal migration. The genealogist was able to find his great-great-grandmother's name because it was recorded at Ellis Island. We don't know the names of the millions of illegal border crossers."
