California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom threatened yesterday Monday to bring his Florida Republican counterpart Ron DeSandis to justice for “kidnapping” after two groups of illegal immigrants arrived by private jet in Sacramento, the Californian capital.

A contender for the Republican nomination to be the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, Mr. DeSandis has for months implemented a policy of moving immigrants to Democratic states in protest of his immigration policy. Democratic President Joe Biden.

The governor of Florida took the initiative in September 2022 to transfer 48 immigrants by plane from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard Island, a resort highly valued by the American high society, in Massachusetts (northeast).

In February, he pushed legislation that would allow his administration to move undocumented immigrants to other states, including those outside of Florida.

“Ron DeSandis, you little pathetic man. This is no Martha’s Vineyard. Kidnapping charges?’ Mr. Newsom said on Twitter, citing an article in his state’s kidnapping law.

State Attorney General Rob Bonda, for his part, said Saturday that an investigation began after the immigrants arrived, clarifying that they were in possession of documents that appeared to be “issued by the government of Florida.”

“We are looking into the possibility of taking action in criminal or civil court against those who transported or organized the transportation of these vulnerable migrants,” he added.

The first group of migrants, from Colombia and Venezuela, arrived on Friday, the second group of migrants, mainly from Venezuela, landed on Monday, according to US media.

Mr. DeSandis’ team did not immediately respond when asked by AFP for comment.

A judicial investigation showed that the immigrants who were taken to Martha’s Vineyard in September had received false promises that jobs were waiting for them there, according to a report published by the Miami Herald newspaper.