(Miami) Florida authorities confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that they had organized the flight of migrants from Texas to California last week and into Monday.
Both groups of immigrants made this trip on a “voluntary” basis, reassured the Emergency Department of this state in the southeastern United States in a press release.
We can see people smiling, reading documents in hand, and confirming you’ve been treated well, Florida officials who attached a video of their statement said.
The Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has been pursuing a policy of moving immigrants to democratic countries for several months, in protest against the immigration policy led by Democratic President Joe Biden.
In particular, last September, he allegedly transported 48 immigrants by plane from Texas to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, a popular vacation spot for American high society, located in the state of Massachusetts (northeast).
Mr. DeSantis later signed a law in February allowing his administration to transfer illegal immigrants to another state, including if they live outside of Florida.
The first group of immigrants, from Colombia and Venezuela, arrived in Sacramento, the capital of California, on Friday, and the second group, mostly from Venezuela, landed on Monday, according to the American press.
California’s Democratic governor expressed his displeasure with the practice on Monday, threatening Ron DeSantis with legal action for “kidnapping.”
“Ron DeSantis, pathetic little guy,” Gavin Newsom tweeted. “It’s not Martha’s Vineyard here. A kidnapping charge?” he added, along with a screenshot of the California law section on kidnappings.
“For the progressive mayors of El Paso (Texas) and Denver (Colorado), transferring those who cross the border illegally into the US is nothing new. But when Florida sends illegal immigrants to a sanctuary city, it is wrongly accused of detention and kidnapping,” he defended. For the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
