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What we know about the two flights and 36 migrants flown to Sacramento so far

Molly Jarone, Maggie Angst
·3 min read

In less than a week, 36 migrants from the Southern border have arrived in Sacramento on private, chartered flights.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta quickly said the culprit was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Tuesday afternoon, DeSantis finally took credit.

Here’s what we know:

Where did they come from?

The first 16 migrants from Venezuela and Colombia arrived at McClellan Airport on Friday on a flight that originated in El Paso, Texas, and passed through New Mexico.

A second plane, carrying 20 additional migrants, arrived in Sacramento on Monday morning. Of the second group of migrants, 16 are originally from Venezuela, two from Colombia, one from Nicaragua and one from Mexico, according to Bonta.

The migrants are between the ages of 18 to 30, according to Bonta and Gabby Trejo, executive director of Sacramento ACT, a collaboration of Sacramento-area religious congregations.

How did they get here?

The FlightAware history for the aircraft shows the first chartered flight traveling Friday from El Paso International to Deming, New Mexico, then flying from Deming to Sacramento. Friday’s flight landed at McClellan Airport to little fanfare.

The plane, operated by Barry Aviation, then flew back to El Paso.

On Monday, the same plane took a nearly identical route: El Paso to Deming, Deming to Sacramento — this time to Executive Airport after being diverted from McClellan.

A spokesperson for Sacramento County told The Bee the county was unaware of the second flight until Monday morning.

Where are they staying?

The first group of migrants was taken to the Sacramento Roman Catholic Diocese’s pastoral center in Curtis Park. They were then put up in a hotel in the Sacramento area.

When the second flight arrived, the migrants were quickly greeted at the airport by state and county officials. They were given Little Caesars pizza and water before being transported to an undisclosed religious institution, the county said.

They are expected to remain housed in Sacramento, the county said.

The offices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento on 21st Street near Broadway in the Curtis Park district of Sacramento. On Friday, June 2, 2023, 16 migrants were brought to the diocese’s offices after being flown from Texas to Sacramento.
The offices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento on 21st Street near Broadway in the Curtis Park district of Sacramento. On Friday, June 2, 2023, 16 migrants were brought to the diocese’s offices after being flown from Texas to Sacramento.

Who chartered the flights?

The two private flights are suspected to be part of Florida’s program for relocating migrants, the same program that last year transported 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, capturing national headlines.

Bonta said the first batch of migrants arrived in Sacramento carrying release documents indicating the flight was part of Florida’s newly expanded, multimillion-dollar program.

The California Department of Justice has not released the documents, citing an ongoing investigation. A department spokesperson said the paperwork reveals that the program’s contractor is Vertol Systems Co. — is the same one behind the flight from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard.

The second flight featured two of the same crew members that were onboard Friday’s flight, and Bonta said he believes the pair work for Vertol.

On Tuesday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office confirmed the flights were part of the state’s “voluntary relocation” program for migrants.

“Through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California. A contractor was present and ensured they made it safely to a 3rd-party NGO. The specific NGO, Catholic Charities, is used and funded by the federal government,” DeSantis spokeswoman Amelia Johnson wrote in an email to The Sacramento Bee.

California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, are criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom they believe orchestrated a flight of migrants from Texas to Sacramento. On Monday, Newsom, a Democrat who’s traded barbs with his Republican rival, called his the presidential candidate a “small, pathetic man.”
California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, are criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom they believe orchestrated a flight of migrants from Texas to Sacramento. On Monday, Newsom, a Democrat who’s traded barbs with his Republican rival, called his the presidential candidate a “small, pathetic man.”

What is California’s response?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who frequently spars with DeSantis, said Saturday that he and Bonta met with the migrants and that they were investigating the circumstances to determine “whether the individuals orchestrating this trip misled anyone with false promises or have violated any criminal laws, including kidnapping.”

On Tuesday, Newsom’s tenor intensified when he took to Twitter to call DeSantis a “small, pathetic man.”

“This isn’t Martha’s Vineyard,” he tweeted, before telling DeSantis to read California’s code on kidnapping.

Bonta said his Department of Justice is conducting an investigation and considering an array of possible civil and criminal charges to hold those involved accountable.