Florida AG calls California’s DOJ investigation request into migrant flights a ‘ridiculous political stunt’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called California’s investigation request into Florida’s migrant relocation program a “ridiculous political stunt” Thursday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Florida’s migrant transportation program after two flights of migrants were sent to Sacramento in June. Newsom called the move a “scheme.”
“It is unconscionable to use people as political props by persuading them to travel to another state based on false or deceptive representations,” the letter said.
In response to the request, Moody sent a letter to the DOJ, saying there is not a legal basis for California’s request for an investigation.
“California’s letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Florida is a ridiculous political stunt,” Moody said. “Our voluntary immigration relocation program is lawful, and California’s request fails to identify any violations of federal law.”
The Florida Division of Emergency Management confirmed in June that migrants boarded flights voluntarily to California through Florida’s voluntary relocation program.
California’s letter does not identify any violation of federal statute, judicial decision or law, according to Moody’s office.
“As an Attorney General who leads hundreds of highly-qualified lawyers and has led dozens of legal challenges against this administration, it is jarring that California is not competent enough to articulate even a minimal legal basis for its request,” Moody said.
Moody’s office urged the Department of Justice to not “bail out” California or “engage” in another political investigation.
“I thought California loved to tout its commitment to illegal immigrants, but now its governor does not want more immigrants in California, claiming that more of them could break his state—how ironic,” she continued.
Following the flights, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the flights a “political stunt.”
“We’re investigating the circumstances by which they were brought to California. State-sanctioned kidnapping is immoral,” Bonta tweeted at the time.
In February 2023, DeSantis signed a bill to allow $10 million to create the “Unauthorized Alien Transport Program” within the Division of Emergency Management. The program had sat previously under the Department of Transportation, where $1.6 million was reportedly spent to send nearly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
In May of 2023, the Florida legislature approved $12 million to help transport illegal immigrants from the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he planned to “spend every penny” of the allotted money to send illegal immigrants to “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Sanctuary cities are usually those with laws to protect undocumented immigrants from prosecution or deportation, despite federal immigration law. Florida is not a sanctuary state.
