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Florida officials say migrants went willingly in California-bound flight

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Florida officials announced on Tuesday, June 6, that the 36 migrants flown from the U.S. southern border to California on private planes went voluntarily. This revelation comes as California leaders investigate whether any laws were violated or if the migrants were deceived upon their unannounced arrival in Sacramento.

Before Florida admitted responsibility, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had threatened Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with potential kidnapping charges. The incident has prompted an investigation by California’s attorney general, who said the flights appear to be part of a scheme by Florida.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on ABC News Monday, June 5, that his investigation indicated that the migrants were misled by being promised help with finding jobs if they got on the planes.

However, on Tuesday, Alecia Collins, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, stated that the volunteers had given both verbal and written consent to be transported to California. Collins also shared a video compilation showing individuals signing consent forms and expressing gratitude to officials for their treatment, as reported by The Associated Press.

The first flight of 16 migrants arrived last week, and then a second plane arrived on Monday with 20 migrants.

Kidnapping charges would likely be extremely difficult to prove, particularly given the migrants signed waivers, the AP reported.

Martha’s Vineyard

This incident follows a similar situation last September when Florida officials flew 49 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts without notice.

DeSantis said the flights to Martha’s Vineyard were part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.” The migrants had reportedly been processed by DHS.

Subsequently, the migrants sued Gov. DeSantis, in part alleging civil rights violations.

At the time, authorities had said Florida’s actions created an “urgent humanitarian situation.”

Monday, June 5, the Texas sheriff responsible for investigating the case recommended criminal charges.

“The charge filed is Unlawful Restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony,” said a spokesperson for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in an emailed statement.

Before Florida officials addressed the matter, Gov. Newsom criticized DeSantis on Twitter, referring to him as a “small, pathetic man.” In the tweet, he included a screenshot of a section of California’s legal code on kidnapping.

DeSantis on the trail

DeSantis, who has not directly responded to the developments in California, is currently focused on his presidential campaign.

The governor has made immigration a key focus in recent months, while criticizing the federal response to the border crisis.

In February, he signed a controversial bill expanding a state program for relocating migrants without a legal status. The law allows Florida to transport migrants not only from within the state, but also from anywhere in the country to Democratic-led cities.

In May, DeSantis signed another immigration bill just before the expiration of Title 42. The bill allocated millions of dollars to the state’s migrant relocation program and introduced stricter measures making it more challenging for undocumented migrants to work, drive, or live in Florida.

Despite the possibility of charges being brought by California, DeSantis is scheduled to visit Sacramento on June 19 to raise funds for his 2024 White House bid. According to his campaign, he raised a record-breaking $8.2 million on his first day on the trail.

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FLORIDA SAYS IT WAS BEHIND THE RECENT FLIGHTS CARRYING MIGRANTS FROM THE US SOUTHERN BORDER INTO SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA BUT OFFICIALS SAY THE MIGRANTS WENT VOLUNTARILY

 

THIS AFTER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM THREATENED FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS WITH POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING CHARGES…. TWO SEPERATE FLIGHTS CARRYING SOME 36 MIGRANTS ARRIVED IN HIS STATE UNANNOUNCED PROMPTING CALIFORNIA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL TO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION

 

CALIFORNIA AG:

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NOW SAYS QUOTE THROUGH VERBAL AND WRITTEN CONSENT, THESE VOLUNTEERS INDICATED THEY WANTED TO GO TO CALIFORNIA 

 

IN AN EARLIER STATEMENT NEWSOM HAD SAID HIS STATE WAS LOOKING INTO WHETHER ANYONE WAS MISLED OR IF LAWS WERE VIOLATED – HE EVEN TOOK TO TWITTER CALLING DESANTIS PATHETIC AND ATTACHED A PIC OF CALIFORNIA’S CRIMINAL CODE ON KIDNAPPING

 

THE AP REPORTS HOWEVER SUCH CHARGES WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE IF IN FACT THE MIGRANTS SIGNED WAIVERS

 

IF YOU REMEMBER LAST SEPTEMBER OFFICIALS IN FLORIDA FLEW OUT SOME 49 MIGRANTS FROM TEXAS TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD IN MASSACHUSETTS WITHOUT NOTICE – THE MIGRANTS LATER SUED DESANTIS ALLEGING CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS – WHILE THAT CASE IS ONGOING – THERE IS A DEVELOPMENT.. THE TEXAS SHERIFF WHO WAS INVESTIGATING IT CAME OUT THIS WEEK RECOMMENDING CRIMINAL CHARGES

 

AUTHORITIES AT THE TIME HAD SAID FLORIDA’S MOVE CREATED AN URGENT HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

 

GOVERNOR DESANTIS WHO IS *NOW RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT* HAS MADE IMMIGRATION A TOP FOCUS IN RECENT MONTHS AMID CRITICISM OVER THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO THE BORDER CRISIS

 

IN FEBRUARY – DESANTIS SIGNED A CONTROVERSIAL BILL INTO LAW THAT EXPANDS A STATE PROGRAM TO RELOCATE MIGRANTS. IT EFFECTIVELY LET’S FLORIDA TRANSPORT UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS FROM *NOT JUST FLORIDA* BUT ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY TO DEMOCRATIC-LED CITIES

 

AND THEN IN MAY HE SIGNED ANOTHER IMMIGRATION BILL RIGHT BEFORE TITLE 42 EXPIRED – IT ALLOCATED MILLIONS IN FUNDING TO THE STATE’S MIGRANT RELOCATION PROGRAM AND INTRODUCED STRICTER MEASURES MAKING IT HARDER FOR UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS TO WORK, DRIVE OR LIVE IN HIS STATE

 

MEANWHILE DESPITE CALIFORNIA FLOATING POSSIBLE CHARGES DESANTIS IS SET TO FLY OUT TO SACRAMENTO JUNE 19TH TO RAISE MORE MONEY FOR HIS 2024 WHITE HOUSE BID – HIS CAMPAIGN SAYS IN JUST HIS FIRST DAY ON THE TRAIL HE RAISED A RECORD 8.2 MILLION DOLLARS