Newsom calls on DOJ to investigate Florida's transport of migrants to California
2nd flight transporting migrants arrives unexpectedly in California
California's attorney general says his office is investigating after a flight carrying migrants arrived in Sacramento on June 5, days after another plane carrying migrants reached the state capital. Attorney General Rob Bonta said it appears that Florida authorities were involved in sending the migrants to California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Florida’s transport of migrants to his state, based on the accusation that Florida tricked migrants into traveling to California and elsewhere.
Newsom, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, wrote to Garland about Florida’s "unauthorized" program which flies migrants to sanctuary jurisdictions across the U.S.
The program has transported migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and to California. It picked up additional funding signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year and is one of many similar initiatives that some Republican states implemented in response to the ongoing border crisis.
In his letter, Newsom says that while it is common for jurisdictions and NGOS to facilitate travel elsewhere in the U.S., "this scheme is different." The letter cites news accounts that migrants were deceived into taking flights "based on promises of jobs and shelter."
He also said that an investigation into the Martha’s Vineyard flight concluded that migrants were indeed based on false representations and promises of housing and employment.
Florida has denied these claims and similar accusations of "kidnapping" made by California officials. Last month, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in an email that the migrants had flown voluntarily.
Florida confirms responsibility for flying migrants to California
Florida officials on Tuesday confirmed that the state was behind the transportation of South American migrants to Sacramento on two recent flights.
"Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California. A contractor was present and ensured they made it safely to a 3rd-party NGO," the email said. The office also provided video of what appeared to be migrants signing consent forms, and talking about how they had been treated "super well."
DeSantis has also defended the flights, arguing that it is right that states that have encouraged migrants to flood to the border should house them.
"They attacked the previous administration's efforts to try to have border security. And so that's the policies they're staking out. And then what? When they have to deal with some of the fruits of that, they all of a sudden become very, very upset about that?"
"I don't think we should have any of this. But if there's a policy to have an open border, then I think the sanctuary jurisdictions should be the ones that have to bear that," DeSantis said. "We're not a sanctuary in Florida."
But Newsom is doubling down on his calls for action over the matter. In the letter, he urges DOH "to open federal criminal and civil investigations into these incidents."
"It is unconscionable to use people as political props by persuading them to travel to another state based on false or deceptive representations. We urge the U.S. DOJ to investigate potential violations of federal law by those involved in this scheme," he said.