California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta are calling for the U.S. Division of Justice to open an investigation into the transportation of migrants to Sacramento as a part of a program overseen by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Thirty-six migrants have been despatched from Texas to Sacramento in June, a transfer for which the Republican presidential hopeful has taken credit score. Whereas DeSantis has defended the Florida taxpayer-funded flights, saying they’re a part of a “voluntary relocation” program, he has been accused of utilizing people as political pawns in a nationwide debate about immigration coverage.
A number of the migrants despatched to Sacramento denied Desantis’ claims that their journey was willful and advised The Instances in June that they have been falsely promised jobs, shelter and attorneys in trade for boarding the airplane.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland on Thursday, the highest California Democrats urged federal officers to open felony and civil investigations into the matter, saying the division has “a singular functionality” to supervise the case.
They be part of Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, in doing the identical, as his workplace investigates the same flight of migrants sent from his state to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
In one other occasion, a busload of migrants was despatched to Los Angeles final month by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. GOP officers main the applications say they’re sending migrants to blue states with “sanctuary” insurance policies.
“We gained’t stand by as persons are used for affordable political stunts,” Bonta stated Thursday.
Bonta pointed to current reporting by The Instances and other news outlets in his letter to the Division of Justice, saying, as within the Martha’s Winery case, migrants might have been “induced by misleading representations about entry to jobs, housing or different providers.”
The California Division of Justice is investigating the matter, with Newsom alluding to kidnapping fees towards DeSantis.
Supply: www.latimes.com