Republicans using migrants as 'political pawns' -WH

STORY: DeSantis took credit for the two flights, which originated in San Antonio, Texas, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. Geoff Freeman, the Martha's Vineyard airport director, said the flights were carrying around 50 migrants, mostly Venezuelans.

The high-profile move comes as DeSantis seeks re-election in November and has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2024. It mirrors campaigns by the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona to push responsibility for a record number of border arrivals to Democratic strongholds across the United States, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago.

Governor of Texas Greg Abbott is another Republican facing re-election in November, and has bused more than 10,000 migrants from his state since April. On Thursday morning, two buses from Texas dropped migrants off in a part of the city near Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence with no warning, according to one volunteer Ashley Tjhung.

Pierre criticized the drop-offs.

"The fact that Fox News and not (Department of Homeland Security), the city or local NGOs were alerted about a plan to leave migrants, including children, on the side of a busy DC street makes clear that this is just a cruel, premeditated political stunt," she said.

Abbott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.