ORLANDO, Fla. — California officials said they are investigating how more than a dozen migrants that landed in Northern California had documentation connected to Florida.
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California officials said the 16 migrants were flown from Texas and then to New Mexico before landing in Sacramento. They were dropped off in front of a local church, according to state officials.
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Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom and State Attorney General Rob Bonta said they are looking into what legal action can be taken against whoever authorized the transport of the migrants. “There’s a pattern here, there’s documentation here, and the document that we have in our possession says the state of Florida, so we believe the state of Florida, Governor Desantis is behind it,” said California State Attorney General Rob Bonta.
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Back in February, Florida State lawmakers passed a bill that allows DeSantis to relocate migrants from any state in the county, not just Florida. DeSantis was just one of a handful of governors or city leaders who have transported migrants. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott bused thousands of migrants from his state to Democrat-led cities like Washington, D.C., Chicago, and NYC.
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The latest flights could be considered political retaliation against Newsom, which constantly criticizes Florida’s policies. The California governor recently visited the New College of Florida in Sarasota, a school currently undergoing a conservative overhaul led by DeSantis.
The migrants had no idea what state they were in and felt abandoned, said Cecilia Flores, a member of a faith-based organization in Sacramento, said. “Some young people are just trying to make a life for themselves. Some people left children behind in this group, " Flores added.
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DeSantis is headed to Texas on Tuesday for a three-day six-city fundraising tour, according to a schedule obtained by The Texas Tribune. Later this month, the governor is also directed to Sacramento, California, later this month, where he will hold a June 19th breakfast fundraiser, the Sacramento Bee reported.
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