(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta has requested documents from the Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
“This request encompasses every record related to the transportation of migrants into California.. It encompasses but is not limited to transportations that originated in El Paso, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and/or Deming, NM, and arrived in Sacramento, CA on June 2, 2023 and June 5, 2023, as well as any future transportations,” Bonta said in the letter.
A similar request for all communications, bids, instructions and contracts involving the movement of the immigrants was made to the Division of Emergency Management.
“These letters represent our commitment to transparency and justice. We need to understand the circumstances that led to the implementation of this operation,” Bonta said.
Thirty-six immigrants were flown into Sacramento on June 2nd and 5th. The majority of the charter flight migrants were primarily from Columbia and Venezuela. The individuals were transported from El Paso, Texas to New Mexico then relocated to California.
Citizens from these two countries are subject to an immigration rule which requires them to pre-apply for asylum in the United States before crossing the border or to seek asylum in the first country into which they cross.
“The rule encourages migrants to avail themselves of lawful, safe and orderly pathways into the United States, or otherwise to seek asylum or other protection in another country through which they travel,” a description by Homeland Security says.
The undocumented immigrants were transported by Vertol Systems Company, Inc., and Berry Aviation, contracted by the state of Florida under its Voluntary Migrant Transport Program. The ending destination for the June 2nd immigrants was the Catholic diocese in Sacramento.
The Catholic diocese runs ministries that serve migrant communities. “We are ready to support, recognize and welcome the community of migrant farmworkers,” a description on their site read. “We collaborate with different agencies of social services, legal and health, and we provide information for these services. And through all of this, we support family unity … We have an active ministry in three migrant camps; one in Davis, one in Dixon, and another in Madison.”
In addition, the Diocesan Immigrant Support Network works to build a network of support for immigrant parishioners throughout the Diocese. The network provides reliable and timely information, and access to immigration legal services.
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation to see if any laws warranting criminal or civil action were broken.
“The information gathered will be crucial in determining whether the law has been violated and, if so, what subsequent steps are required to prevent such disregard for human rights from recurring,” Bonta stated.
