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On Friday, the Roman Catholic parish of Sacramento welcomed some unexpected visitors. They were 16 South American immigrants flown in on a private charter jet from New Mexico after being transported from the border town of El Paso without any coordination with the church or the state of California. authorities.
Their arrival on the doorstep of a parish where politicians and organizations have yet to claim responsibility has sparked controversy over similar ploys by conservative politicians in Republican-led states.
They and their supporters said the effort was meant to raise awareness about immigration flowing across the southern border and raise the issue with Democratic-led state officials. Opponents describe the move as a brutal political stunt that uses immigrants as pawns, keeping them miles away from their families, resources and even the courts they are expected to appear for asylum claims. .
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that he and Democrat Ati said: General Rob Bonta met with more than a dozen immigrants on Saturday, who were “transferred from Texas to New Mexico, then flown to Sacramento on a private charter jet, where they were sent to a local church without prior warning. It was left on the doorstep.”
Mr Newsom said his office and the California Department of Justice “won’t know who paid for the group’s travel and whether the person who orchestrated the trip misled someone with false promises or violated criminal law, including kidnapping.” We are cooperating to investigate the situation, such as whether there is any.”
In a statement on Saturday, Bonta confirmed his office was “investigating the circumstances under which these people were brought to California.”
“We are also considering the possibility of criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for transport of these vulnerable migrants,” he added. “While this is still under investigation, we can confirm that these individuals were in possession of documents purporting to be from the Florida government.”
The situation in Sacramento plays out against the backdrop of a fierce public debate about how to deal with the influx of immigrants who cross the Mexican border into the United States each year. The debate follows similar efforts championed and supported by Republican governors such as Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida to evacuate thousands of immigrants and spark widespread controversy in recent years. and has reached its peak.
In September, Mr. Abbott bussed about 100 immigrants to Washington, D.C., and dropped them off outside the Naval Observatory, the home of Vice President Kamala Harris. That same month, Mr. DeSantis, now the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, sent a group of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a haven for wealthy liberals off the coast of Massachusetts.
Both governors’ offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night.
Newsom has a habit of attacking DeSantis and Abbott over many issues that divide the country, and regularly denounces their positions on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control and abortion. Earlier this year, he launched a political action committee aimed at helping Democrats running for office in red states. In a video announcing the initiative, with images of Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Abbott playing on the screen, Mr. Newsom said “authoritarian leaders” were a problem for the country.
Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento said in a statement on Saturday that the diocese is working with other organizations to help new arrivals.
“The urgency of a response has reached the ears of Catholics and people of good will,” he said. “We thank our partners for devoting their time and resources to the work of sacred hospitality so that all immigrants do not feel alone or abandoned.”
It is unclear exactly who directed the transport of desperate immigrants from El Paso to New Mexico to Sacramento. Something similar happened last year, when eight Venezuelan immigrants were flown from Texas to Sacramento.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for an investigation into the incident in a statement on Saturday.
“Human trafficking is not only despicable; it is a felony. Is there anything cruel to you?” he said.
Steinberg’s statement said the city will continue to be a welcoming place for disadvantaged people, such as the 16 migrants who arrived on Friday.
“Sacramento represents the highest of American values,” he said. “We have always welcomed ‘the tired, the poor, the assembled masses’ and will continue to do so.”
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