Florida officials confirmed on Tuesday that Governor Ron DeSantis was behind two flights of migrants from New Mexico to Sacramento over the weekend.
Some 36 migrants arrived in California on Friday and Sunday – Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has now released footage of what is claimed to be these migrants on private planes, listening to music, signing waivers and appearing to pass a good time.
The Florida governor’s decision is the latest stunt in which migrants who entered through the southern border have been moved north to Democratic-run “sanctuary cities.”
“We’ve arrived in California,” one migrant said in a selfie video that revealed behind him the Dehavilland turboprop plane he and the others arrived on.
“Thank God, very grateful to God,” he said in Spanish as he stood on the tarmac at Sacramento Executive Airport.
In a statement accompanying the footage, a Florida Division of Emergency Management spokesperson said the relocation was voluntary.
In a segment of a video shared by Florida officials, a man records himself disembarking from a plane and giving thanks to God as he stands on the tarmac at what appears to be the executive airport of Sacramento.
The video was posted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and uploaded to Rumble.
In an accompanying statement, Alecia Collins, director of communications for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the move was voluntary.
“As you can see in this video, voluntary relocation from Florida is precisely that – voluntary,” Collins wrote.
It is unclear who took the videos and photos, but some appear to have been captured by the alleged migrants themselves. None of the people shown in the video were unidentified and the video was without any description.
Other parts of the video show the alleged migrants cheering from the back of a bus, blasting music and showing peace signs with their hands.
At one point, they are asked in Spanish, “At any time, did you feel like you were treated badly?”
“No, they treated us very well,” one person replied.
Migrants were photographed throughout their transport from New Mexico to Sacramento
California officials said on Tuesday that the transport of migrants was facilitated by Vertol Systems Company
Groups of suspected migrants were seen in the back of a bus playing music and making the peace sign with their hands
The migrants, mainly from Venezuela but also from Colombia, arrived in Sacramento, the Californian capital, in two flights. Pictured, video released by Florida officials shows people claiming to be migrants boarding a plane
“Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to travel to California,” Collins wrote.
“A contractor was present and made sure they got to a third party NGO safely. The specific NGO, Catholic Charities, is used and funded by the federal government.
Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who entered the United States via Texas were flown by private plane to Sacramento, Calif., and left outside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.
California officials said on Tuesday that the transport of migrants was facilitated by Vertol Systems Company, a private company that also organized the planes of Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard last year.
The migrants, mostly from Venezuela but also from Colombia, arrived in Sacramento, the Californian capital, in two flights – the first carrying 16 on Friday and another on Monday carrying 20.
More than a dozen Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who entered the United States via Texas were flown by private plane to Sacramento, Calif., and left outside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, pictured
California Governor Newsom tweeted at Ron DeSantis on Monday saying “you pathetic little man.” This ain’t Martha’s Vineyard’
California Governor Gavin Newsom attacked DeSantis on Monday, calling him a “pathetic little man” and threatening on Twitter to bring kidnapping charges against his administration.
He said he was working with the California Department of Justice to establish if there was something criminal about the orchestration of the robberies, including who paid for the group’s trip and “whether the individuals orchestrating this journey deceived someone with false promises or violated a criminal”. laws, including kidnappings.
The Governor of California tweeted at Ron DeSantis on Monday saying “you pathetic little man.” It’s not Martha’s Vineyard. He referenced DeSantis’ decision to send a group of migrants to Massachusetts last year.
In Tuesday’s statement, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management suggested the criticism from California officials was unfair.
“From the left-leaning mayors of El Paso, Texas and Denver, Colorado, the relocation of those who cross the US border illegally is nothing new,” the statement read.
“But suddenly when Florida sends illegal aliens to a sanctuary city, it’s fake imprisonment and kidnapping.”
