Gov. Ron DeSantis says flight probe 'absurd'
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Ron DeSantis called it "absurd" for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to request a federal investigation into Florida directing flights of migrants last month from Texas to Sacramento.
Appearing Monday on Fox Business, DeSantis defended Florida's use of a taxpayer-funded program to transport migrants, while criticizing California as a "sanctuary" state.
"They're serving really as a magnet for people to cross our border illegally," DeSantis said.
As he runs for the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis has made President Joe Biden's handling of immigration and the Southwest U.S. border a key campaign issue.
Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, both Democrats, asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the June 2 and June 5 migrant flights to California.
Those flights followed Florida flying migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts last September. Critics have said DeSantis has used migrants as "pawns."
Attorneys for some of the migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard and the advocacy group Alianza Americas filed a potential class-action lawsuit, alleging the asylum seekers were "tricked" into going from Texas to Massachusetts.