(KTXL) — Sixteen migrants from El Paso, Texas were left at the doorstep of the Sacramento Catholic Diocese on Friday with everything they own stuffed in their backpacks.
According to authorities, the migrants were brought to Sacramento with the promise of being brought to another migrant center where they would be provided jobs and other free support.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said an investigation is being carried out to determine where the migrants originated and other potential civil and criminal charges.
Within each of the 16 migrants transported to Sacramento on Friday we recognize the humble presence of Jesus, and we hear His call to stand by them. The urgency to respond was heard by Catholics and people of good will. We are thankful to our partner organizations who took up the holy work of hospitality, dedicating their time and resources to ensure that every migrant did not feel alone and abandoned.
Bishop Jaime Soto
Governor Gavin Newsom and Bonta expressed their thoughts about the cross-state transportation of the migrants.
“Today Attorney General Rob Bonta and I met with over a dozen migrants in Sacramento, Newsom wrote in a news release. “These individuals were transported from Texas to New Mexico before being flown by private chartered jet to Sacramento and dumped on the doorstep of a local church without any advance warning.”
Bonta provided further background on the possible original location of these migrants, saying that documentation provided from the migrants showed to be from the government of the State of Florida.
“State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting,” Bonta wrote in a news release.