(Miami) Florida authorities confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that they had organized the sending of migrants by plane from Texas to California last week and this Monday.
The two groups of migrants made this trip on a “voluntary” basis, assured the emergency management service of this state in the south-east of the United States in a press release.
The company contracted to transport the migrants entrusted them to the philanthropic association Catholic Charities, specified the officials of Florida who attached to their press release a video in which one can see people smiling, reading documents pen in hand, and assure you have been treated well.
Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been pursuing a policy of moving migrants to Democratic states for several months, in protest against the immigration policy led by Democratic President Joe Biden.
In particular, he claimed last September the transfer of 48 migrants by plane from Texas to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, a popular vacation spot for American high society, located in Massachusetts (northeast).
Mr. DeSantis later signed into law legislation in February allowing his administration to transfer illegal migrants to another state, including if they live outside of Florida.
The first group of migrants, from Colombia and Venezuela, arrived in Sacramento, the Californian capital, on Friday, and the second group, mainly from Venezuela, landed on Monday, according to American press.
The Democratic governor of California expressed his outrage at the practice on Monday, threatening Ron DeSantis with legal action for “kidnapping”.
“Ron DeSantis, pathetic little man,” Gavin Newsom tweeted. “It’s not Martha’s Vineyard here. A kidnapping charge? he added, along with a screenshot of a California state law section regarding kidnappings.
“For the progressive mayors of El Paso (Texas) and Denver (Colorado), the relocation of those who cross the border illegally into the United States is nothing new. But, when Florida sends irregular migrants to a sanctuary city, it is wrongly accused of detention and kidnapping,” defended the Florida Emergency Management Service.