California probes ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping' of migrants allegedly flown by Florida

Officials in California said they're investigating how a group of migrants were flown to the state's capital last week, claiming they had documents from Florida.

The group of 16 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants arrived in Sacramento Friday by private plane, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the migrants had been transported from Texas to New Mexico before the flight, then showed up at a local church "without any advance warning."

Bonta said the migrants had documentation purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida.

"We are investigating the circumstances by which these individuals were brought to California. We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants," Bonta's statement read. While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting."

Another flight arrived Monday with about 20 migrants. The newest arrivals remained at the airport for a couple of hours and were fed before being transported to a “religious institution,” said Kim Nava, a Sacramento County spokeswoman. Nava said she didn’t know the nationalities of the new arrivals or where they had intended to go in the U.S.

The flights, if proven to have been arranged by Florida, would intensify a prolonged political feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Newsom.

"My administration is also working with the California Department of Justice to investigate the circumstances around who paid for the group’s travel and whether the individuals orchestrating this trip misled anyone with false promises or have violated any criminal laws, including kidnapping," Newsom said in a statement.

The migrants' documents said they were transported through a program run by Florida's Division of Emergency Management and carried out by contractor Vertol Systems Co., said Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Bonta.

Florida paid the same contractor $1.56 million last year to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and for a possible second flight to Delaware that never took place. The Republican governors of Texas and Arizona have previously sent thousands of migrants on buses to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Neither Vertol Systems nor DeSantis' office responded to requests for comment. Alecia Collins, a spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees Florida's migrant flights program, said in an email Monday that she couldn't immediately confirm whether the agency was involved in this latest instance.

A 2017 California law officially made it a "sanctuary state" for undocumented migrants. Sacramento has also declared itself a "sanctuary city."

DeSantis has declared that Florida is not a "sanctuary state" and a 2023 bill expanded the Republican governor's program that enables government officials to fly migrants to destinations in states that have sanctuary policies in place.

"We don't want to be like San Francisco or L.A. or some of these states where they're basically just sanctuary jurisdictions and the rule of law has effectively been suspended, that's not gonna fly in the state of Florida," DeSantis said last year.

Some political observers expect more flights in the near future as DeSantis seeks the Republican presidential nomination.

“Governor DeSantis feels that this benefits him in a Republican primary,” said NBC6 Political Analyst Mike Hernandez. “It also generates a lot of headlines, a lot of news coverage all across the country, which is exactly what he needs as he’s going up against the Trump machine.” 

Some immigration activists said moving migrants cross country makes their dream of coming to America more difficult. 

“Normally they have to give an address, so if these migrants gave an address in Texas that means that normally they are assigned to a Texas court,” said Miami immigration attorney Rosaly Chaviano. "So that means they have to report to that court, regardless where they live."