Florida officials say migrants went willingly in California-bound flight

Florida officials announced on Tuesday, June 6, that the 36 migrants flown from the U.S. southern border to California on private planes went voluntarily. This revelation comes as California leaders investigate whether any laws were violated or if the migrants were deceived upon their unannounced arrival in Sacramento.

Before Florida admitted responsibility, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had threatened Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with potential kidnapping charges. The incident has prompted an investigation by California’s attorney general, who said the flights appear to be part of a scheme by Florida.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on ABC News Monday, June 5, that his investigation indicated that the migrants were misled by being promised help with finding jobs if they got on the planes.

However, on Tuesday, Alecia Collins, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, stated that the volunteers had given both verbal and written consent to be transported to California. Collins also shared a video compilation showing individuals signing consent forms and expressing gratitude to officials for their treatment, as reported by The Associated Press.

The first flight of 16 migrants arrived last week, and then a second plane arrived on Monday with 20 migrants.

Kidnapping charges would likely be extremely difficult to prove, particularly given the migrants signed waivers, the AP reported.

Martha’s Vineyard

This incident follows a similar situation last September when Florida officials flew 49 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts without notice.

DeSantis said the flights to Martha’s Vineyard were part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.” The migrants had reportedly been processed by DHS.

Subsequently, the migrants sued Gov. DeSantis, in part alleging civil rights violations.

At the time, authorities had said Florida’s actions created an “urgent humanitarian situation.”

Monday, June 5, the Texas sheriff responsible for investigating the case recommended criminal charges.

“The charge filed is Unlawful Restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony,” said a spokesperson for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in an emailed statement.

Before Florida officials addressed the matter, Gov. Newsom criticized DeSantis on Twitter, referring to him as a “small, pathetic man.” In the tweet, he included a screenshot of a section of California’s legal code on kidnapping.

DeSantis on the trail

DeSantis, who has not directly responded to the developments in California, is currently focused on his presidential campaign.

The governor has made immigration a key focus in recent months, while criticizing the federal response to the border crisis.

In February, he signed a controversial bill expanding a state program for relocating migrants without a legal status. The law allows Florida to transport migrants not only from within the state, but also from anywhere in the country to Democratic-led cities.

In May, DeSantis signed another immigration bill just before the expiration of Title 42. The bill allocated millions of dollars to the state’s migrant relocation program and introduced stricter measures making it more challenging for undocumented migrants to work, drive, or live in Florida.

Despite the possibility of charges being brought by California, DeSantis is scheduled to visit Sacramento on June 19 to raise funds for his 2024 White House bid. According to his campaign, he raised a record-breaking $8.2 million on his first day on the trail.