Florida contracts 3 private companies for DeSantis’ program that seeks to relocate migrants

() — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has chosen three companies to execute the next phase of its migrant resettlement program, according to documents obtained by .

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) selected Vertol Systems Company, Inc, ARS Global Emergency Management, and GardaWorld Federal Services to “manage and implement a relocation program for individuals” who have been prosecuted and released by the US government, according to an agency document.

The contract sets the stage for sending migrants back to Democratic-led cities, as happened in 2022 when Vertol Systems Company, Inc. provided two planes that flew migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, under DeSantis’s order. .

The state requires providers to be “solely responsible” from start to finish for the transportation of people, including the social services that must be provided to them in destination cities.

How will these companies operate?

Providers have a duty to provide transportation services, both ground and air, to assist in what the DeSantis administration is calling the “voluntary relocation of inspected unauthorized aliens” who have agreed to relocate from “Florida, or another state , to a location within the United States.”

The FDEM did not detail the number of migrants estimated to be transported, saying the figure will be determined “based on the circumstances on the ground.” One supplier noted its ability to carry between 40 and 50 passengers a week or about 2,200 in a year.

A question-and-answer document between anonymous vendors and FDEM, which was posted on the state’s contracting website, reveals details of how Florida wants companies to run the program.

One of the providers mentioned California, New York and Georgia as possible destinations for flights from Florida.

The state wants providers to begin transporting migrants “within 72 hours of the division’s notification,” and they must honor their contract by June 30, 2025, unless terminated sooner.

In response to a question about the management of the transport of minors, the FDEM commented that it does not “provide the transfer of minors without a parent or guardian.”

The agency said it anticipates this contract “to be fully delegated,” explaining that the companies will “locate and identify, screen and verify individuals for program eligibility and transportation.”

One vendor asked to what extent it would be involved with the media or states after executing relocation flights, citing “potential that the move could be seen as controversial (as it has been in the past).”

FDEM ordered contractors and subcontractors to refer all media requests to the agency.

The document states that $10 million has been allocated to FDEM for this program during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which expires on June 30.

has contacted Vertol Systems Company, Inc, ARS Global Emergency Management, and GardaWorld Federal Services for comment.