As the debate over the border continues to escalate, several migrants were reportedly flown from Texas to California over the weekend, according to an advocacy group. Questions remain, however, over who funded the supposed trip and which government agency may have been responsible.
A total of eight migrants reportedly arrived in Sacramento on two separate flights, according to KCRA. Immigration advocacy group NorCal Resist claimed on Twitter that some walked from the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to the town barefoot.
“We have a small group of migrants dumped in Sacramento from Texas today. Literally stuck on a plane without shoes, money, or a way to get help. They had to *walk* from SMF into town. We’re putting them in a motel and getting them fed,” the group said.
They continued, claiming that “They were held in detention in Texas, and put on a plane, and were not even told where they were going. What kind of stupid, cruel, and incompetent act is this?”
All the documents held by the migrants were allegedly issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including orders to report to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office denied any involvement in the matter, claiming to The Dallas Express that the governor was “still only busing to DC, NYC, Chicago.”
President Joe Biden’s administration has also engaged in extensive transportation of migrants across the United States, and the DHS confirmed that it flew nearly 72,000 migrants to 20 different cities in 2021. At least 70 flights were sent to Jacksonville, Florida, alone, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
The issues surrounding the southern border have increasingly entered the national conversation as states including Texas and Arizona have begun sending migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities to relieve border communities, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The situation is acute: over 2 million arrests have been reported along the southern border since the start of this year alone. However, Vice President Kamala Harris and the administration have insisted that “the border is secure.”
The Dallas Express reached out to the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for comment but did not receive a response prior to press. He also recently engaged in the transportation of migrants out of his state and into California.
