Residents of the wealthy, liberal enclave called Martha’s Vineyard, who previously called for illegal aliens to be shipped off of their island, defended illegal aliens as the Trump administration has ramped up deportations.

Several older residents of Martha’s Vineyard reportedly attended a rally, with some people holding signs that read, “I pledge to resist,” and “Protect people, resist hate,” according to the MV Times. The rally defending illegal aliens comes years after Martha’s Vineyard officials declared a “humanitarian crisis” after around 50 illegal aliens were flown to the island by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

One rallygoer, Marina Kaufman told the outlet that they “have to protect” illegal aliens, citing how “they are part of the workforce of the Vineyard.”

“We have to protect these people because they are part of the workforce of the Vineyard,” Kaufman said. “And they’re human beings. They have children in schools, they’re scared. And it breaks my heart, it really does.”

Wealthy Democrat residents of Martha’s Vineyard have previously praised themselves for rushing a group of poor migrants off the island in 2022. The influential residents declared a humanitarian crisis and asked former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) to deport the illegal aliens to a nearby military base on the mainland.

While those in favor of illegal immigration in the United States argue that illegal aliens contribute to the economy by working, the increase of illegal immigration under the Biden administration has led to lower wages for Americans and less available housing options.

Breitbart News’s John Binder reported in February 2023 that now-Vice President JD Vance stated during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee that “illegal immigration puts immense downward pressure on mostly working and lower-middle class Americans.”

Another resident, Bill Bridwell expressed to the MV Times that it was the “grabbing people in their homes and taking them” back to their home countries “where they haven’t been in years,” that got him, adding that he understood if people had “committed some sort of crime, they should be dealt with.”

Bridwell’s comments come as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently clarified that all illegal aliens in the U.S. are criminals because they have entered the country illegally.