More than a dozen migrants transported to California via private plane, state officials say

More than a dozen migrants had been dropped off at the doorstep of a California church after being transported to the state via private aircraft, in accordance to state officials.

The migrants had been dropped off on the Diocese of Sacramento on Saturday “with no prior arrangement or care in place” and in ownership of documentation purporting to be from the federal government of the State of Florida, California Attorney General Rob Bonta mentioned in a commentary.

The crew were transported from Texas to New Mexico ahead of being flown through private chartered jet to Sacramento, California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned in a commentary.

Officials are comparing doable civil motion in opposition to those that transported or organized for the delivery of “these vulnerable immigrants,” Bonta mentioned, evaluating the transfer to “state-sanctioned kidnapping.”

The California Department of Justice is investigating the cases round who paid for the crowd’s go back and forth and whether or not the folks orchestrating this commute misled any person with false guarantees or have violated any prison rules, together with kidnapping, Newsom mentioned.

The crew of migrants was once allegedly approached through a private contractor in El Paso, Texas, who advised them they’d be supplied with jobs, unfastened strengthen and lend a hand entering a migrant heart, ABC Sacramento associate KXTV reported, mentioning the Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT).

The 16 migrants didn’t know the place they had been and simplest had a backpack’s value of property, Diocese of Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto mentioned in a commentary.

“While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting,” Bonta mentioned. “We are a nation built by immigrants and we must condemn the cruelty and hateful rhetoric of those, whether they are state leaders or private parties, who refuse to recognize humanity and who turn their backs on extending dignity and care to fellow human beings.”

Newsom and Bonta met with the crowd of migrants on Saturday and are running with the administrative center of Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and native and nonprofit companions to make sure the migrants are handled with recognize and dignity and get to their supposed vacation spot as they pursue their immigration circumstances, officials mentioned.

The town is welcoming the migrants with open palms, Steinberg mentioned in a commentary, accusing those that transported the migrants of “using scared human beings to score cheap political points.”

“California and the Sacramento community will welcome these individuals with open arms and provide them with the respect, compassion, and care they will need after such a harrowing experience,” Bonta mentioned.