Florida chargeable for flying migrants from Texas to Sacramento, California AG Says
California’s lawyer normal stated the state of Florida seems to have organized for a gaggle of South American migrants to be dropped off exterior a Sacramento church.
“Whereas that is nonetheless below investigation, we are able to affirm these people have been in possession of documentation purporting to be from the federal government of the State of Florida,” Bonta stated in an announcement late Saturday.
The paperwork stated the migrants have been transported via a program run by Florida’s Division of Emergency Administration and carried out by contractor Vertol Programs Co., stated Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Bonta. Florida paid the identical contractor $1.56 million final yr to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Winery, Massachusetts, and for a potential second flight to Delaware that by no means befell.
The 16 migrants who arrived in Sacramento on Friday are from Colombia and Venezuela. They entered the U.S. via Texas, Gov. Gavin Newsom stated Saturday.
The younger women and men have been dropped off Friday exterior the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento with solely a backpack’s price of belongings every, stated Eddie Carmona, marketing campaign director at PICO California, a faith-based neighborhood organizing group that has been aiding the migrants.
The migrants had already been processed by U.S. immigration officers and given courtroom dates for his or her asylum circumstances when “people representing a non-public contractor” approached them exterior a migrant middle in El Paso, Texas, Carmona stated. They supplied to assist the migrants get jobs and get them to their ultimate vacation spot, he stated.
“They have been lied to and deliberately deceived,” Carmona stated, including that the migrants had no concept the place they have been after being dropped off in Sacramento.
Vertol Programs Co. and the Florida Division of Emergency Administration didn’t instantly reply Sunday to emails searching for remark.
Bonta stated he’s evaluating whether or not violations of civil or prison legislation befell.
“Whereas we proceed to gather proof, I wish to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping just isn’t a public coverage alternative, it’s immoral and disgusting,” Bonta stated in an announcement.
Newsom stated he and Lawyer Basic Bonta met with the group of migrants on Saturday and realized they have been transported from Texas to New Mexico after which flown by non-public chartered jet to Sacramento.
“We’re working carefully with the Mayor’s workplace, together with native and nonprofit companions to make sure the individuals who have arrived are handled with respect and dignity, and get to their meant vacation spot as they pursue their immigration circumstances,” Newsom stated in an announcement.
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