California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said he is happy to see the state of Florida officially take credit on Tuesday for the recent flights for processed and released migrants that landed in Sacramento, saying he is looking to see whether he can file kidnapping charges.
“I’m glad the state of Florida is accepting blame for what they’ve done,” Bonta told The Hill.
"They have no choice but to — all the evidence pointed that way. It was obvious that it was them. They have a $10 [million] to $12 million budget outlay to pay for this program," he explained.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) provided video of the migrant flights showing the passengers signing paperwork and expressing gratitude for the free flight to the Golden State.
BREAKING: The Florida Division of Emergency Management has provided video to @townhallcom showing the recent flight of migrants to California was voluntary and migrants expressing their gratitude for the flight.
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 6, 2023
"We made it to California! Thank God!" one man can be seen saying. pic.twitter.com/tVfLCxGeUP
"The state of Florida’s propaganda machine is in overdrive right now. Look at how many times they use the word ‘voluntary.’ Look at the title of the program. Its name is called the Voluntary Transportation Program. They really want everyone to think that it’s voluntary. They really, really do," Bonta continued.
"I think deception is a key part of what’s happened here. The lying to them, the false representations, the misrepresentations, the deceit and telling them that if they came to where these vehicles and this plane was traveling, they would help them find jobs, and then never lifting a finger to help them find jobs, but instead deserting and dumping them on the steps of Sacramento diocese and never having an intention to help find them jobs, but using it to lure them into the travel arrangement," he added.
"As you can see from this video, Florida's voluntary relocation is precisely that - voluntary. Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California. A contractor was present and ensured they made it safely to a 3rd-party NGO. The specific NGO, Catholic Charities, is used and funded by the federal government," FDEM said in a statement.
"From left-leaning mayors in El Paso, Texas, and Denver, Colorado, the relocation of those illegally crossing the United States border is not new. But suddenly, when Florida sends illegal aliens to a sanctuary city, it's false imprisonment and kidnapping," FDEM noted.
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