Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) at a Recent EPA Distribution Press Conference on the Portland Waterfront..

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) joined 46 of her Congressional colleagues in calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a Department of Justice investigation into the cruel Republican migrant flights.  Their letter, led by Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Mondaire Jones (D-NY) follows reports that the Governor of Florida flew 50 Venezuelan migrants seeking asylum from the Maduro regime to Martha’s Vineyard from Texas.

“As the federal government retains jurisdiction over cases that involve interstate travel, we request the Department of Justice investigate whether any federal funds were used to operate a fraudluent scheme and request the Department of Justice make a determine as to whether officials in Texas and Florida violated federal law,” the members wrote in the letter.  “The members who were used in this political stunt were fleeing communism, authoritarism, and violence, having crossed 10 countries and walked thousands of miles in search of a dignified life for them and their families.  Our nation has a long tradition of weloming migrants fleeing persecution and conflict. These individuals became essential pillars to our economy, diversity and culture.  The actions of the officials in Texas and Florida were not only fundamentally cruel and uniquely un-American, there remains a likelihood that federal laws were violated,” the members added.