Online, by phone, and even by aerial banner, the Vineyard has become a target for threats and angry comments about immigration.
People on Martha’s Vineyard are being trolled and harassed following the flight of migrants to the island last week at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who represents the island and who has been outspoken in his rebuke of DeSantis, said death threats were left on his office voicemail.
“My poor staff has listened to a lot of the voicemails,” Fernandes said. “Apparently, a couple were threatening, and they reported that to the state police. And the state police, I'm told, said they were looking into it.”
But Fernandes said the threats are nothing compared to the violence the migrants are fleeing.
In Oak Bluffs, the Dockside Inn received several strange calls, says general manager Kevin Lynch-Greenberg.
He described one: “He went, ‘You liberals are getting exposed. The whole world can see what's going on over there now. Like, you can't hide it anymore. You're all a bunch of phonies.’ And I said, ‘Excuse me?’ And he went, ‘Yeah, excuse YOU... Like, soon enough, you'll find out.’ And then he just hung up.”
Among other callers, said Lynch-Greenberg, was a man who suggested more migrants would be coming, if not to the Inn, perhaps more generally to the island.
A plane flew over the island on Monday pulling a banner that said, “Vineyard Hypocrites!”
The Rev. Chip Seadale, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, which housed the migrants, said the church has received hate mail as well.
