In the idyllic enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, where manicured lawns and oceanfront estates define a certain American dream, residents have recently voiced outrage over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of illegal aliens on their island.
The criticism is rich with irony, especially when viewed through the lens of 2022, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent a group of illegal aliens to the island. Back then, the Vineyard’s compassionate facade crumbled swiftly. Within 48 hours, the migrants were whisked off to a military base on Cape Cod, revealing an ugly truth: the island’s elite are happy to champion unregulated borders in theory, but when faced with the reality of migration, they prefer it to remain someone else’s problem.
This episode exposes a broader hypocrisy among America’s wealthy elites, who often advocate for lax immigration policies while shielding themselves from the consequences. Martha’s Vineyard, a playground for the affluent, is Exhibit A for this disconnect. Its residents, many of whom are vocal proponents of a far-left progressive worldview, were quick to decry ICE’s actions as inhumane. Yet, their response to DeSantis’s charter exposed their unwillingness to grapple with the practical implications of mass migration. The migrants, initially welcomed with photo-op gestures of goodwill, were promptly removed when their presence threatened the island’s pristine image. This is not compassion, but performative virtue.
The Vineyard’s reaction is a microcosm of a larger pattern. Wealthy elites across the country often support illegal mass migration, not out of altruistic zeal, but because they benefit from the cheap labor illegal immigration provides. Domestic workers, landscapers, and service industry employees—often in the country illegally—keep their households running smoothly at a fraction of the cost of citizen labor.
Comments from one-percenters like Nancy Pelosi, who once mused about the need for migrants to “pick our crops,” or Kelly Osbourne, who infamously asked, “If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilet?” reveal an unpleasant fact. To many elites, illegal aliens are a convenient serf class, valued for their labor but unwelcome as neighbors.
Meanwhile, ordinary Americans bear the brunt of surrendered borders. In communities far from the gated estates of the Vineyard, mass migration has driven up crime rates, strained social services, and exacerbated housing shortages. Schools in working-class neighborhoods struggle with overcrowding, while hospitals face longer wait times and stretched budgets. The law of supply and demand dictates that adding large numbers of people in need of housing will drive up housing costs.
Wages, too, stagnate as low-skill workers compete with an influx of cheap labor. After almost four years of Biden-era anti-border policies, an August 2024 jobs report showed that native-born Americans lost more than 1.3 million jobs over the previous 12 months, while foreign-born workers gained more than 1.2 million jobs. These are not abstract statistics or theories; they are the lived realities of millions of Americans who do not have the luxury of retreating to summer homes.
Contrast this with the broader American sentiment. Polls consistently show that a majority of citizens support stricter immigration policies. A July 2024 Gallup poll found that 62 percent of Americans favor stronger border enforcement, including deportations, a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s approach.
Martha’s Vineyard’s outrage over ICE arrests is not only hypocritical, it also reveals a deeper disconnect. The island’s residents want the moral high ground without the mess. They champion loose borders from their ivory towers, but when migrants arrive at their doorstep, they are quick to call for their removal. This is a defense of privilege, not human rights.
America can no longer afford the elite’s double standards. The Trump administration’s policies, while generating vociferous criticism from a loud minority, reflect a growing consensus that borders must be secured, and immigration must serve the nation’s interests, not just those of the wealthy.
The Vineyard’s residents may clutch their pearls at ICE’s presence, but their complaints ring hollow. They have shown they are unwilling to live with the consequences of the policies they endorse. It is time for our government to prioritize the needs of ordinary Americans over the whims of the elite. The tide is turning, and the era of unchecked migration is coming to an end. Americans have had enough.
Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
The truth is that most of the Martha Vineyard’s crowd would buy slaves in a heartbeat if they could.
I agree with the author on the hypocrisy of wealthy elites on Martha’s Vineyard. But we should also call out the hypocrisy of wealthy elites who are against illegal immigration and then employ undocumented workers as housekeepers and nannies in their homes and at a private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
LOL. Martha’s Vineyard is a big elite joke. They showed us what they would do with illegal immigrants – – – ship them out A..S.A.P.
The lying hypocrites make a living out of their hypocrisy. We’ve accepted it and our votes keep them in the lap of luxury. They are opportunists, we are enablers. We could have, should have tossed them in the trash can many years ago. Unless we are willing to see the writing on the wall, nothing will change, they’ll thrive, we starve.
Liberals, like AOC, complain that our immigration laws make immigration so difficult. I never hear liberals spell out laws they would like to see that would both facilitate immigration and make sure immigrants are thoroughly vetted. The truth is you can’t vet someone coming here from Venezuela and many other countries, because those countries don’t cooperate. Joe Biden’s auto-pen wielding handlers wanted exactly what we got, a huge influx of migrants who expand the population of blue cities and blue states and result in more Democrat members of Congress. That is the goal, pure and simple. Public safety is not an objective.
Well then. Deporting the illegals from Martha’s Vineyard was taking away the workforce that were hired by these elites to wipe their asses. Dale said it kinder than Osbourne did. And she didn’t phrase it kindly either. She meant every word. The only welcome illegal in Martha’s Vineyard is an employee. These elites millionaires from Obama on down are playing the brainwashing game. To keep us peons in line. With this latest action these millionaires are supporting these migrants to not be deported. Keeping them
in line to not rise up in Martha’s Vineyard. In the hope the criminals don’t come here, for they will kick them out so quickly they won’t know what hit them. This yen and yang the democrats in Martha’s Vineyard are doing is the same what happened with the plandemic. With the open borders What you are seeing is not what you are seeing. A Senator without any ID goes to a cabinet members press conference lunges at her and is forcefully removed from the conference and every democrat screams dictatorial actions by the Trump administration. Really. This was a planned action. Why didn’t he ID himself. Why didn’t he have any ID on him. Nobody knew who he was, maybe the people from his state. And this is the democrat party. Nothing democratic about it. Just fanning the flames at every opportunity that presents itself. Their hatred for America shines through every time they execute a plan conspired in the back room of the deep state and or WEF. Divide and lie, lie and divide add some evil, stir it all around and execute the plan. And who suffer. The people, like in any war.
Couldn’t have said it better myself! The days for political posturing and window-dressing are over. No more “Good for me, but not for thee.”!
Very candid article.
It shows the hypocrisy of
these”elites”.
Unfortunately, they aren’t an isolated group of people that exhibit the very visible differences.
Martha’s Vineyard: a champion of gaslighting and virtue signaling. What a bunch of stinking hypocrites.
Let’s all all remember the biggest socialist hypocrite of all, Bernie Sanders. A multi multi millionaire with what, three or four houses, asking for equality of pay for the “poor” people! As far as Martha’s Vinyard, they are all two faced scum of the earth who could give two ???? about humans other than themselves…
I’ve known an awful lot of very well off people who keep illegal immigrants in their homes to perform services for them.
The last thing they want is immigration and naturalization agents “poking” around their homes.
Why doesn’t anyone ask WHY the rich and famous are Democrats?! Because they want to gut the middle class and have the lower class on their bidding.
So many disadvantaged people continue to believe the lies from The Left. It amazes me.
mowing people are happy being in the lower class, then being a Democrat is right for you. If you have ambition and want to actually be something, then being a Republican is by far the better choice. SMH
The elites tossed the illegals when DeSantis sent them Let em reap what they sow
Typical of out of touch wealthy elites. They need to be called out for what they are. To say I don’t care if they are illegal or not because they work for us. The elites are noting more than modern day slave owners who want cheap labor.
Double standard of elites is really shows that they are above it!
I agree wholehearted with the views/facts stated within this article!
Martha’s Vineyard residents are a slimy, greasy group of people on the whole. I watched when these residents called for National Guard to remove illegals from their area. Spineless Elites who talk big talk but are emoty on substance. Now they want Reforms for illegals but so-ooo racist they would not open their homes (lots of room in each home) to them when Mr. DeSantis sent a small group. I believe these individuals should Forfeit monies, property, ect. if they truly believe illegals need. And, I venture to say, some of the residence have Businesses they could also hire illegals. Should Martha Vinyards residents accept this deal, then, of course, you seize all personal assets and split everything up and give to American Legal Citizens in need!
To the Democrats I recommend they clean their own toilets since they are the ones so full of crap!
It’s always been that way. The elite don’t want to get their hands dirty, and they like the cheap labor.
Ah, yes, lily white Martha’s Vineyard ( say it like Thurston Howell III). When Gov. DeSantis had the brown folks shipped in, the white elite were shocked. The Edgartown Police moved the immigrants out- pronto. I guess the Edgartown Police have the Edward Kennedy incident solved, so they had time to deal with “interlopers”. People have not been moved that fast since the Third Reich was putting people on trains! Then, the white elite came out to wish the immigrants well, while they were being put on buses. What a farce. The good folk of Martha’s Vineyard, of well bred stock, only want immigrants in their enclave when they can mow their lawns; clean their pools; trim their hedges ( the rich love hedges); put the crisp white linen sheets on their beds and vacuum their mansions.
My word!!
Of course it’s about cheap Labor. Including ‘the Bidens’. Other then that? Stay out
of Sight.
Just like Joke Biden said he was moving the inner cities into the suburbs, it’s time to move the illegals into the affluent neighborhoods. Let it be mandated, that as long as there are illegal aliens in the US, they have to be represented in high end areas, where the residents can better afford for their “care”. You know, “free stuff”, that isn’t actually free. Then let’s see how the so-called “elite” like it when robbers, rapists and drug dealers move into their neighborhoods and they start mixing with the children and grandchildren of those same “elite”. Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let them live with most other Americans are forced to deal with, even when they can’t afford it.
Here’s a perfect solution for the Martha’s Vineyard folks…..they want immigration for cheap labor, let each resident on the island sponsor and support one immigrant family!!! That means food, shelter, dental, medical, jobs and whatever else they may need. Sounds good to me!
Hi, fellow readers. I made the following suggestion to AMAC and am interested in what you think.
“Hi, I have another suggestion. Comments default to the most voted. The most voted comments are usually the first comments posted because those are the ones readers first see.
I think it would be more fair to commentors (and readers) if the default were to the newest comments. That way, new comments would have a greater opportunity to be seen. Let’s face it, when there are more than, say, a couple dozen comments, the most recent ones are less likely to be seen at all.
The option to sort by oldest or most commented could still remain.”
The suggestion was passed on by the AMAC rep. who also said they appreciate our comments and suggestions. If you have a comment or suggestion, click on the Chat button at the bottom right of the page.
There is a word for the wealthy elites — “hypocrites”.
Eliminate Social Security??? Not hardly ! I, and my employers, paid into it for over 40 years. Eliminate it?? Not until they write a check for all the money contributed by, and on my behalf. SS is not a freebie. It is a program we paid into for many years. Unlike all the money and freebies being paid to and for illegals!!!
They are above the rest of us…..they think.
Democrats are disgusting
????????????????????????