Newsom, Texas Sheriff Discuss Pursuing Criminal Charges Against DeSantis Over Flying Migrants to California, Martha’s Vineyard

Governor Newsom and the sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, Javier Salazar, are working together to examine the legality of Governor DeSantis’s playbook for shipping migrants around the country on private jets.Following the delivery of migrants to both Martha’s Vineyard last year and multiple cities in California this year via chartered jet, Mr. Newsom sat down to “compare notes” with Sheriff Salazar on potential criminal charges.He is the sheriff for the county in Texas where Mr. DeSantis’s administration found migrants that were eventually flown to Florida and then Martha’s Vineyard last year. Mr. DeSantis has said he is merely transporting the migrants to “sanctuary cities” that have declared themselves safe havens for undocumented immigrants, as Florida doesn’t have any room for them.The sheriff’s office has filed charges related to the DeSantis administration’s flights to Massachusetts last year, though it hasn’t yet publicly disclosed the identity of the defendant.“He wants to pursue criminal charges, and we are investigating whether the similarities and the contours of consideration allow us to do the same because we believe in accountability, and we think this is wrong,” Mr. Newsom told Fox11 Los Angeles.“The charge filed is Unlawful Restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony,” the statement read. “At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office.”Mr. Newsom’s administration is investigating the circumstances surrounding flights of migrants that landed at Sacramento earlier this month.The Golden State attorney general, Rob Bonta, said that he was investigating potential kidnapping charges against Mr. DeSantis, though preliminary reporting suggests that migrants boarded the flight voluntarily.Mr. Newsom said in an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles that Sheriff Salazar was “disgusted” with Mr. DeSantis and his administration. Mr. Newsom also reported that Sheriff Salazar characterized the DeSantis administration’s efforts to get migrants on planes as deception.“I find it not only disgraceful, I think there’s grounds, not only to investigate but to potentially initiate some form of accountability,” Mr. Newsom said. “The sheriff wants to see that from the D.A. in Texas and we’re pursuing that with the Department of Justice in this state.”Governor Abbot joined Mr. DeSantis in shipping migrants to California, sending a busload of about 40 migrants to Los Angeles from border towns in Texas earlier this week.Early this year, Florida Republicans approved a $10 million budget to transport migrants from anywhere around the country to a second location. This funding expires at the end of June, meaning there could be more flights on the way in the near future.Legislators at Tallahassee in May approved an additional $12 million in funding for the transportation of migrants around the country as well, though this funding expires later, meaning that there could be more flights through next year.

Newsom, Texas Sheriff Discuss Pursuing Criminal Charges Against DeSantis Over Flying Migrants to California, Martha’s Vineyard

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