Global Courant
SACRAMENTO —
On the same day that the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took responsibility for sending dozens of migrants seeking asylum to California, the volunteers and organizers at Sacramento’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral refused to name the Republican politician. to say.
Instead, they wanted to talk about the 36 men and women they’ve been caring for this week, who they say were left exhausted, confused and frightened on the doorstep of a local church in what California officials have called a political stunt .
Gabby Trejo, executive director of Sacramento Area Congregations Together, said the migrants she took to church with her on Sunday — some who had walked thousands of miles from Venezuela to the U.S. over the course of several months — were in their pockets to get a . dollars to offer. for the collection plate.
“I said no, you need it more than our church today. But they didn’t care. They still put it in the plate,” Trejo said. “That was when our new neighbors showed me what it means for them to be able to contribute to our community as well.”
Cecila Flores, who has been supporting the migrants since the first group arrived by plane on Friday, wiped away tears at a press conference on Tuesday.
In their 20s and 30s, most migrants are the first in their families to reach the US and are eager to work, she said. Some are married. One of them brought a dog named Gieco.
When she asks them simple questions like what they want to eat, they are shy. Everything is fine, they always say.
“It’s been years since I’ve been able to choose my own clothes,” one man told Flores, an organizer with Sacramento ACT, after a volunteer took him to the thrift store. Until then, he had depended on clothes given to him, she said.
The identities of the migrants, who also came from countries such as Colombia and Guatemala, remain secret while the California Justice Department investigates the incident. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened conservative presidential candidate DeSantis with kidnapping charges.
Organizers said on Tuesday the migrants had arrived at the Texas border, where they were met by people claiming to be on a relocation program, promising housing and jobs. They were then taken to New Mexico and flown to Sacramento on a chartered plane.
Representatives for DeSantis – who migrants flew into liberal Martha’s Vineyard as a statement against progressive immigration policies last year — said Tuesday that the Sacramento group agreed to go to California.
Alecia Collins, a spokesperson for Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, called the flights “voluntary displacement.” A contractor made sure they made it safe, she said.
The statement included a video showing more than a dozen people signing paperwork and boarding a private jet. It later shows a person saying they have arrived in California. The video features people laughing and dancing, and a man talks about his experience migrating through Central America.
The people who worked with them on the ground in Sacramento said the migrants had no idea where they were going. Their “American dream” quickly became “a nightmare,” said Trejo, who said they had been duped.
Local church leaders and nonprofit organizations have worked with city and county officials to help them.
With the help of donations and volunteers, faith-based groups such as Sacramento ACT and PICO California have provided temporary housing, clothing, food and cell phones for the migrants, as well as duffel bags for them to store their new gear.
They have rushed to put them in touch with lawyers so they can plan for upcoming immigration hearings. The county sent a nurse to do checks. Volunteers have also reached out to mental health professionals, dentists and hair stylists, as some have not had a haircut in months.
A rebellious mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat and former Senate Majority Leader, painted a picture of a brutal political ploy gone wrong. The migrants are welcome here, he said, even as the city struggles with a homelessness crisis.
The migrants are safe, “well cared for” and “in good spirits,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk about who did this, who probably did this. They — he — are not worthy of being worthy of,” Steinberg said. “If this is an attempt to send a message, I can probably say, ‘Message received.’ But the way we receive the message may be different than the one who did this intended. We are going to welcome people.”
While Steinberg said he aimed to make Sacramento’s mission apolitical, Newsom was not shy about blaming DeSantis by name.
“Now, who is ultimately responsible and accountable? I mean, the money should stop at Ron DeSantis and the games he plays.” Newsom told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview Tuesday. ‘But it’s the people on the front lines who do the dirty work. And that’s ultimately what we need to determine, where the debt ends up and where it resides.
In a statement in response to the video from DeSantis’ team, PICO California said they will continue to protect the migrants from the media to avoid their involvement in “political theatre.” Volunteers at the church on Tuesday read from statements some migrants had written or recorded in voice memos to protect their identities.
“I could never have imagined what has happened in the past few days. My travels have had many difficult moments, but I thank God. I hope to have a good life here and I was welcomed with open arms,” one woman wrote. “I want to work and serve. We’re here to help.”
Los Angeles Times writer Melanie Mason contributed to this report.
