Global Courant
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento received an unexpected visit on Friday: 16 migrants from South America flown in by private jet from New Mexico after being transported from the border city of El Paso without any coordination with the Church or with California. authorities.
Their arrival on the doorstep of the diocese, for which no politician or organization has yet claimed responsibility, is fueling controversy over similar ploys by conservative politicians in Republican-led states.
They and their supporters have said the efforts are designed to raise awareness of the influx of migrants across the southern border and to bring the issue to the door of authorities in Democrat-led states. Opponents describe the moves as vicious political stunts that use immigrants as pawns, leaving them many miles from family, resources and even the courthouses where they are often expected to plead their asylum claims.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement that he and Democratic Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta met with more than 12 of the migrants on Saturday, who “were transported from Texas to New Mexico before being flown by private jet to Sacramento and dumped on the doorstep of a local church without any warning.”
Newsom added that his office and the California Department of Justice are working “to investigate the circumstances surrounding who paid for the group’s trip and whether the individuals who orchestrated this trip misled anyone with false promises or violated criminal laws, including kidnapping.”
Bonta confirmed in a statement Saturday that his office is “investigating the circumstances that brought these individuals to California.”
“We are also evaluating possible criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for these vulnerable immigrants,” he added. “While this is still under investigation, we can confirm that these individuals were in possession of documentation purportedly from the State of Florida government.”
The situation in Sacramento is set against the backdrop of an intense national debate over how to deal with the influx of migrants entering the US across the Mexican border each year. That debate has come to a head in response to similar efforts championed and supported by Republican governors such as Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, which have expelled thousands of migrants in recent years and sparked widespread controversy.
In September, Abbott bussed about 100 migrants to Washington, D.C., where they were dropped off at the Naval Observatory, the home of Vice President Kamala Harris. That same month, DeSantis — now one of the leading contenders for the GOP presidential nomination — sent a group of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, an affluent liberal port off the coast of Massachusetts.
Neither governor immediately responded to requests for comment Saturday evening.
Newsom has made a habit of attacking DeSantis and Abbott over a myriad of issues that divide the nation, routinely quashing their stance on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, and abortion. He launched a political action committee this year to support Democrats running in red states. In a video announcing the effort, Newsom said “authoritarian leaders” are a problem for the country as images of DeSantis and Abbott flash across the screen.
Jaime Soto, bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, said in a statement Saturday that the diocese is working with other groups to help the new arrivals.
“The urgency to respond was heard by Catholics and people of good will,” he said. “We are grateful to our partner organizations who have taken on the sacred work of hospitality and dedicated their time and resources to ensure that every migrant does not feel alone and abandoned.”
Exactly who orchestrated the transport of the desperate migrants — which led them from El Paso to New Mexico and then to Sacramento — is unknown. Something similar happened last year, when eight Venezuelan migrants were flown from Texas to Sacramento.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for an investigation into the latest incident in a statement Saturday.
“Human trafficking is not only reprehensible; it’s a crime. … Whoever is behind this needs to answer: Is there anything crueler than using scared people to score cheap political points?” he said.
Steinberg’s statement made it clear that the city will continue to be a welcoming place for underprivileged people, such as the 16 migrants who arrived there on Friday.
“Sacramento represents the best of American values,” he said. “We always welcome ‘the weary, the poor and the huddled masses’, and we always will.”
