CNN's Avlon claims Florida 'needs' migrants to help hurricane cleanup, rips GOP 'hypocrisy' on immigration

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CNN's Avlon rips 'hypocrisy' of Florida needing migrants to help hurricane cleanup after GOP relocated them

CNN’s John Avlon claimed there is "real hypocrisy" in the fact that Florida "needs" illegal immigrants to clean up the damage left by Hurricane Ian, after its Republican leaders relocated them from their state only a couple of weeks prior. 

On CNN’s "New Day" Tuesday morning, John Avlon claimed there is "real hypocrisy" in the fact that Florida "needs" illegal immigrants to clean up the damage left by Hurricane Ian, after its Republican leaders relocated them from their state only a couple of weeks prior. 

Avlon called the relocation of Venezuelan migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard by Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., a "troll move" and "play-to-the-base stunt." And he mentioned the "irony" that Venezuelan refugees are now making their way to Florida to help the state rebuild in the aftermath of the storm.

The anchor made the claims during his "Reality Check" segment on Tuesday's "New Day." The segment’s theme centered on Republicans’ general "hypocrisy" during Hurricane Ian. Avlon opened with commentary on Republican leaders seeking federal assistance for hurricane relief though they’ve voted against it for other states in the past.

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CNN anchor John Avlon railed against the "hypocrisy" of Florida needing migrants to help with hurricane relief after trying to move them out of state. 

He said, "Now a lot of folks have been pointing out the hypocrisy of leading Republicans from Florida voting against hurricane relief when it was needed by other states. But now they’re dealing with the devastation at home and they want the federal government to step in and help their state with recovery."

He added, "Now of course, it shouldn’t take a massive disaster to realize that we have a responsibility to help each other during times of crisis." 

Though Avlon moved on to his main point, which was accusing Republicans of hypocrisy based on the possibility of illegal immigrants going to Florida to find work helping repair the damage from Hurricane Ian.

He began, "But as we turn toward the hard work of recovery, which will take months if not years on the west coast of Florida, there might be some irony coming into play." The anchor then brought up several headlines onscreen, including one from The Daily Beast, which stated, "Irony Meter Explodes as Migrants Lured TO Florida for Hurricane Ian Cleanup."

Reading from a New York Post article on the same subject, Avlon said, "The details from the New York Post reporting say, ‘Refugees from Venezuela are reportedly making their way to the Sunshine State by a van from New York, lured by the promise of work.’"

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 29: Cars are submerged in a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on September 29, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. The storm has caused widespread power outages and flash flooding in Central Florida as it crossed through the state after making landfall in the Fort Myers area as a Category 4 hurricane. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

He then recounted DeSantis’ relocation of migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard to really highlight the supposed irony. "And of course, it was refugees from Venezuela whom Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flew up to Martha’s Vineyard in a play-to-the-base stunt a few weeks ago, allegedly lured by the false promise of work and cash assistance."

Avlon called the action a "troll move that prompted a class action lawsuit and a sheriff’s investigation," and he mentioned how DeSantis’ "defenders said it was intended to draw attention to our porous border with Mexico – which just exceeded two million apprehensions. That’s a record."

Though now that "disaster relief is a growth industry in America," as Avlon described it, and that "undocumented immigrants mostly do jobs that U.S. citizens don’t want to do," he claimed, "migrant workers have been playing critical roles in helping towns clean up and rebuild after natural disasters."

He concluded his segment saying, "The real hypocrisy of it all, though, is unmistakable. Now that there’s a major mess to clean up, Florida needs migrant workers to clean up and rebuild. And those Venezuelans refugees from the Maduro regime won’t be scapegoated for political benefit. Instead, they’ll be quietly depended on to get Florida up and running again."

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Illegal immigrants arrive at Martha's Vineyard Airport from Florida on Wednesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration's failed border policies. (AP)