California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has announced an investigation of Florida officials after two flights of migrants were sent to Sacramento from there. The state of California is considering filing possible state-sanctioned kidnapping charges, specifically targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Newsom’s announcement followed California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s (D-California) proclamation that Florida was responsible for sending a chartered plane full of South American migrants to Sacramento last week, prior to the flight that landed on Monday.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management confirmed on Tuesday that it was responsible for the flights, but questioned the integrity of the investigations.
“From left-leaning mayors in El Paso, Texas and Denver, Colorado, the relocation of those illegally crossing the United States border is not new,” said spokesperson Alecia Collins. “But suddenly, when Florida sends illegal aliens to a sanctuary, it’s false imprisonment and kidnapping.”
According to Newsom, at least some of the migrants flown to Sacramento appear to have been misled, saying that they were promised job security and assistance but did not receive any upon landing.
This situation is not the first of its kind. In preparation for the upcoming 2024 election term, Republican officials have been flying migrants around the country in a supposed effort to raise awareness of the nation’s immigration problem, bringing it to the forefront of the Democratic agenda.
Opponents of this tactic argue that migrants are being taken advantage of and used as pawns in a political game.
“All this does is reinforce the cruelty of this act and the manipulative nature of the act and the stunt that this is,” Newsom said. “We are very serious about pursuing action if the facts dictate it. And Mr. DeSantis should know that.”
DeSantis and other Florida officials have yet to be charged on any counts of criminal activity.
