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| Second plane carrying migrants arrives in California | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Hard-line Republican governors have transported migrants to Democratic-controlled states since last year | Hard-line Republican governors have transported migrants to Democratic-controlled states since last year |
| A second plane carrying migrants has arrived in California's capital city, just days after a first group of 16 migrants landed there on a charter plane that took off from New Mexico. | |
| On Monday, a group of around 20 people landed in Sacramento, officials say. | |
| Documents in their possession suggested the migrants were transported by a contractor for a Florida government programme. | |
| California officials are investigating whether any laws were broken. | |
| The first group of migrants, from Colombia and Venezuela, were dropped off outside a Sacramento church on Friday. | |
| California state leaders have said the migrants may have been misled with "false promises" and even kidnapped. | |
| Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not commented on either flight, nor have other officials from the state. | |
| Gavin Newsom, California's governor, went on Twitter on Monday afternoon and called Mr DeSantis a "small, pathetic man", including a screenshot of a California legal code section on kidnapping. | |
| "This isn't Martha's Vineyard," his tweet read, "Kidnapping charges?" | "This isn't Martha's Vineyard," his tweet read, "Kidnapping charges?" |
| California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said the first group had been transported from Texas to New Mexico, flown in a private chartered jet to Sacramento and driven to the Roman Catholic Diocese, a local church. | |
| Paperwork they shared with authorities indicated they were participating in the migrant transportation system administered by Florida's Division of Emergency Management and run by Florida-based contractor Vertol Systems Company Inc. | Paperwork they shared with authorities indicated they were participating in the migrant transportation system administered by Florida's Division of Emergency Management and run by Florida-based contractor Vertol Systems Company Inc. |
| The second group was carrying similar documents and flew to California from the same airport in New Mexico as the first group. | |
| Sacramento County spokeswoman Kim Nava told US media the second group contained men and women between the ages of 18 and 40. | |
| She said government officials made contact with them and gave them food and water before transporting them to a religious institution that she declined to identify. | |
| Since last year, Florida and at least two other Republican-controlled states have sent busloads of migrants, often with no advance warning, to Democratic-run cities in protest against President Joe Biden's border policies. It comes amid an influx of migrants at the southern US border. | |
| Vertol, which has ties to Florida's Mr DeSantis, was paid more than $1.6m (£1.3m) last year for at least two migrant flights, including to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. | Vertol, which has ties to Florida's Mr DeSantis, was paid more than $1.6m (£1.3m) last year for at least two migrant flights, including to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. |
| Mr DeSantis is contesting for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He will be holding a fundraiser in Sacramento for his campaign later this month. | Mr DeSantis is contesting for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He will be holding a fundraiser in Sacramento for his campaign later this month. |
| PICO California and Sacramento ACT, two faith-based volunteer groups that are helping the South Americans, told US media the first group was approached outside a migrant centre in the Texas border city of El Paso by people who offered them jobs and other support. | |
| They were dropped off at the church's doorstep not knowing where they were and with only a backpack's worth of personal belongings each, the groups said. | They were dropped off at the church's doorstep not knowing where they were and with only a backpack's worth of personal belongings each, the groups said. |
| Why are migrants being sent to Democrat-run areas? | |
| US cities far from border grapple with migrant crisis | |
| Mr Newsom said in a statement on Saturday that he and Mr Bonta had personally met the group. | Mr Newsom said in a statement on Saturday that he and Mr Bonta had personally met the group. |
| He vowed to ensure they were "treated with respect and dignity, and get to their intended destination as they pursue their immigration cases". | He vowed to ensure they were "treated with respect and dignity, and get to their intended destination as they pursue their immigration cases". |
| "We are investigating whether those orchestrating the group's trip misled anyone or violated laws", he added. | "We are investigating whether those orchestrating the group's trip misled anyone or violated laws", he added. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Florida | Florida |
| US immigration | US immigration |
| Texas | Texas |
| United States | United States |
| California | California |