California authorities say migrants flown to Sacramento have links to Florida
By: GARY FINEOUT (POLITICO)
Colombians and Venezuelans illegally crossed the border into Texas, somehow ended up in New Mexico, and were flown to Sacramento. So, naturally California AG Rob Bonta is investigating Florida because DeSantis. And the story is being reported from Tallahassee, Florida?
Guess this wasn't a self made crisis that was averted.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — More than a dozen migrants were flown to Sacramento and dropped off in front of a Catholic church on Friday, sparking speculation from California officials that the flight was arranged by Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.
DeSantis created a national furor last September when his administration paid to fly nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, an act that he frequently mentions during public appearances and speeches, including while campaigning for president.
But so far his administration had not commenced a second round of flights — even after state lawmakers expanded the program in February in response to a lawsuit that challenged whether the governor had the authority to ship people from Texas to Massachusetts. There is also an ongoing lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court that sought to block any more flights by Florida.
Both California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta put out statements on over the weekend saying they had met with a group of migrants who traveled from Texas to New Mexico before being flown to Sacramento.
Bonta suggested that the DeSantis administration may be linked to the operation because he said the migrants appeared to have paperwork connected to Florida, though he did not provide details on the documentation. The migrants flown last fall by the DeSantis administration to Martha's Vineyard were given pamphlets detailing the benefits available to them in Massachusetts.
"We are investigating the circumstances by which these individuals were brought to California," Bonta said. "We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants. While this is still under investigation, we can confirm these individuals were in possession of documentation purporting to be from the government of the state of Florida."
Eddie Carmona, campaign director at PICO California, a faith-based community organizing group that has been assisting the migrants, told The Associated Press that the migrants had already been given court dates for their asylum cases when a person representing a private contactor approached them outside a migrant center in El Paso, Texas. Carmona told the AP that "they were lied to and intentionally deceived."
The Associated Press identified the migrants as originating from Colombia and Venezuela.
The latest flights could be considered political retaliation against Newsom, who has been a constant critic of Florida's policies. The California governor recently visited New College of Florida in Sarasota, a school currently undergoing a conservative overhaul led by DeSantis. At the time, Newsom said the efforts by DeSantis to rebrand the school were part of his efforts of "bullying and intimidating vulnerable communities."
Newsom also recently requested information from DeSantis, the Florida Department of Education and textbook publishers over changes made to K-12 textbooks that were requested by the Florida education agency.
DeSantis is headed to Texas on Tuesday for a three-day six-city fundraising tour according to a schedule obtained by The Texas Tribune. The governor is also headed to California later this month, where he will hold a June 19th breakfast fundraiser in Sacramento, the Sacramento Bee reported.
DeSantis was just one of a handful of governors or city leaders who have transported migrants. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has bused thousands of migrants from his state to Democrat-led cities like Washington, D.C., Chicago and NYC while New York Mayor Eric Adams, who has railed against the lack of resources available to handle an influx of migrants, has also transported migrants outside of his city.
Both DeSantis' administration and the Florida Division of Emergency Management — which now oversees the relocation program — did not immediately respond to inquiries from POLITICO on Sunday.
DeSantis has been a persistent and vocal critic of the immigration policies of President Joe Biden, and one of his allies — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody — has contended in federal court that the Biden administration is ignoring federal immigration laws.
During his presidential campaign stops over the past week, DeSantis vowed to reinstitute some of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies such as "remain in Mexico" and promised to complete construction of a border wall.
"You deserve to have a secure border, you deserve to have the rule of law," DeSantis said during a visit to Iowa right before he became an official candidate for president. "Someone comes across the border stop them and send them back on the other side … Don't give them a piece of paper and say you come back for a court date in four years. What kind of a deterrence is that?"
Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature in 2022 first gave DeSantis $12 million to operate the migrant relocation program through the Florida Department of Transportation, but authorities shifted control to the state Division of Emergency Management. State records suggested that the company that operated the first round of flights was paid $1.56 million.
The emergency management division in early May posted a notice that it intended to award contracts to three vendors to work on the migrant relocation program. DeSantis also signed an immigration bill last month that included an additional $12 million for the program.
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Kamala - Lala - Ding Dong. Can anyone explain what the Florida Dept. of Education and K-12 textbooks have to do with illegal immigrants ending up in Sacramento?
California is a "Sanctuary State" as of the passing of State Senate Bill 54 and it subsequent signature of Jerry Brown in 2017. And like all the other Sanctuary Shitholes, they are finding out that with that declaration, come responsibilities. Responsibilities NONE of them thought they would have to act on. DeSantis and Abbot are making sure that those who declared that they welcome illegal immigrants receive said illegal immigrants.
Given Geriatric Joe's administration has been flying illegals all over the country for 2 years now better be subject to this investigation as well. But we know the hypocrisy won't let that happen
If they already have court dates for their asylum requests they are not illegals. They still have to get to court though. Is there a plan to fly them to go to court? I doubt it.
They are in California. They will probably get transported by a helicopter as they sign up for free health care and are registered to vote as they fly
Exactly, they can get to the US on their own but not to court.
Anything to make their lives suck even more amiright Drinker?
Stevie - they are still Illegals - but - they are now waiting on the courts to give them status from being in the country illegally.
Filing for Asylum DOES NOT give them travel/residency/working/etc. rights. All it does is tell them to get in the back of the line until their court date arrives - in three to five years.
And, didja know that only 30 - 35% of them actually show up for court? And, of those who do show up for court, 'bout 80-85% of the claims for asylum are denied?
Friggin' waste of time and money for the U. S.
Maybe someone could start a go fund me page to pay for uber rides for them
If they crossed into the US and dind't come through an authorized port of entry - they are illegals. They can apply for asylum from outside the US.
In this instance, that would be on California. They are the sanctuary shithole.
Can anything suck more than being in this capitalistic, homophobic, religious, right wing country?
Another statistic for 2019 was: Percentage of No Asylum Application Filed: 41.53%
These are migrants who passed a credible fear interview, got a court date but didn't file for asylum, with a I-589 form.
There status becomes"withholding of removal" a form of temporary protection that allows someone to remain here and work legally.
The question no is, where will California ship them off to?
Back where they came from?
We stand a better chance of the oxygen thief playing VP actually doing her job.
Perhaps some of their shiny cities like:
Shipping them off on somebody else is the woke thing to do. If they don't then they will lose their woke card. Then wtf will they do?
My life's pretty good right now so... Yeah.
Oh, so you’re happy living here.
A church? The shameless religious right wants to start the religious indoctrination immediately.
In a liberal shithole state? Doubt it.
Sorry, I should have made my sarcasm more self evident.
It's all good. I didn't catch it either.
Then he shouldn't have declared NYC a sanctuary shithole. Now he realizes that there are responsibility that comes with such an idiotic announcement.
I don’t endorse the shuttling of illegal aliens (yeah I said it!) around the country for political clout. However, I do get why that would be a satisfying thing to do. Border states have been complaining for decades about this issue while politicians from other parts of the country say it’s no big deal and the border states are xenophobic. I get it.
But why would you ship these people off to another state that already has more than its fair share of illegal aliens/immigrants/migrants/whatever? You may not like California’s policies toward these people, but at least it’s a state that has been walking the walk for decades, not just talking the talk. Of all the states in the union, California is the last one that needs to be taught that the problem is real.
These are cities / states that have trumpeted that they are "Sanctuary Cities / States". They said they would welcome illegals. Well, now it's time for them to step up. They never thought that they would actually have to do something. Now they have to do something all they are all showing that they are unprepared for what they wished for.
They don't want the burden then they need to denounce their "Sanctuary" status and enforce the laws.
That is Bullshit. Straight up bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.
Did I mention I’m calling Bullshit?
As I just explained above, California has been stepping up for years. I don’t even always agree with it, but I’m not going to deny it has been happening for literally decades. Don’t come at me with this bullshit that California hasn’t been living out the policies it advocates. It absolutely has.
So what are they crying about? If they don't want to fulfill the responsibilities then they they need to denounce their "Sanctuary" status.
I have no sympathy.
So you think it’s good to lie to people, tell them they have a job waiting for them, and transport them across state lines? Newsome is right. It’s kidnapping.
Kidnapping doesn’t have to be by force. It can also happen through false promises or other fraud.
It's going to be fun watching Newsome prove it. But then again, Democrats are known to run with fantasy costing taxpayers millions.
Don't ignore that the shuttling of illegals is all about Hispanic politics. The issue of illegal immigration has forced a subtle, but noticeable, shift in political rhetoric away from 'white extremists' toward 'right-wing extremists'. Even Biden has been forced to adopt the new rhetoric of 'right-wing extremists'.
California is not the only state with a large Hispanic population. California's liberal political appeal to Hispanics is being successfully challenged by conservative political appeals to Hispanics. And more of the Hispanic population is listening to those conservative appeals.
All of this is really about influencing opinion within the Hispanic population. There is a real possibility that the Hispanic population will begin rejecting 'left-wing extremists' which would naturally raise alarms among California politicians. That's why there is a concerted effort to shift public (and Hispanic, in particular) attention onto 'right-wing extremists'. But there aren't clear indications that shift in political rhetoric is gaining traction among the Hispanic population.