Gavin Newsom urges DoJ to investigate Florida over ‘unconscionable’ transportation of migrants

The California governor’s letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland says it is “unconscionable to use people as political props”

California Gov Gavin Newsom has called on the Department of Justice to investigate Florida’s transportation of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last year.

Mr Newsom, a Democrat and regular antagonist of Gov Ron DeSantis (R-FL), sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on the DOJ to investigate the transportation of migrants that Mr DeSantis touted ahead of his re-election campaign.

“It is unconscionable to use people as political props by persuading them to travel to another state based on false or deceptive representations,” Mr Newsom wrote in his letter on Thursday.

Mr DeSantis arranged the transportation of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, where many Democratic elites vacation, as a way to criticise President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. Mr DeSantis later won re-election by double digits in Florida as he prepared to seek the Republican nomination for president.

The governor of Florida said that the migrants travelled on their own volition. But Mr Newsom noted in his letter that a Bexar County Sheriff’s office investigation found that the migrants were "induced to accept free travel based on false representations” and that they were told they would be transported from San Antonio to Massachusetts and receive housing, education and employment.

“Although separate investigations into potential violations of state laws remain active, the U.S. Department of Justice has a unique capability to investigate cases where, as here, the scheme stretches from Massachusetts to California and touches upon no fewer than five states,” Mr Newsom said.

Mr Newsom has become one of the Democratic Party’s most aggressive surrogates. Despite winning re-election last year, he passed on running for president, choosing to heavily campaign for Mr Biden.

In addition, he’s often enjoyed attacking Mr DeSantis, releasing an ad in Florida last year criticising Mr DeSantis for policies he said restricted freedom. Last month, he appeared on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show. He also created an account on former president Donald Trump’s networking platform Truth Social.