SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Update:
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg stood beside faith and religious leaders Tuesday to update community members on the now-36 migrants recently flown into the state capitol.
Leaders from Christian, Jewish and other faith-based organizations said they welcomed the migrants with open arms and provided shelter, clothes and food.
Rabbi Mona Alfi of Sacramento's Congregation B’nai Israel said she was taught to see herself in the face of strangers facing challenges.
"When I was part of the group to welcome them to Sacramento, I have to admit, I did not see myself in their faces. I saw my father who came to this country at the age of 17 by himself," she said. "I don’t see myself because I don’t see the courage that they have, in my own eyes."
One volunteer with Sacramento ACT said she helped take some of the migrants to get new clothes, as they only had the clothes on their backs.
She also used her phone to play a Spanish voice recording she said came from migrants wanting to show their gratitude to the California State Capitol.
"So he's saying, 'I want to say how grateful I am, and long live Sacramento'," she said.
Rev. Rajeev Rambob of Parkside Community Church echoes Alfi when he said the migrants reminded him of his ancestors who also immigrated to the U.S.
None of the speakers standing shoulder-to-shoulder flinched or hesitated when confronted with the task of having to accommodate 36 unexpected migrants, Steinberg said, as 'Yes' was the only right answer.
"The only thing they want is the opportunity to give back, to work hard and to contribute to this country so that they can help their families. That’s the immigrant story over the course of nearly 300 years in this country," said.
Original story:
A plane carrying migrants landed at Sacramento Executive Airport Monday — just days after 16 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants turned up at the Catholic Church diocese’s headquarters in Sacramento.
The plane landed around 10:30 a.m. carrying about 20 people, and it matches the description provided by the California Attorney General's Office. It is not clear what countries the 20 people are from.
According to ABC News, the flight appeared to have come from El Paso, Texas before making a stop in New Mexico.
The company, Vetrol Systems, is the same vendor that coordinated migrant flights to Martha's Vineyard in September 2022, according to ABC News.
According to flight tracking information, the plane was scheduled to land at Sacramento McLellan Airport but landed at Sacramento Executive Airport. A spokesperson for the airport would not confirm or deny that the flight was diverted but said migrants were believed to be on board.
"The flight came from Deming, New Mexico. Before that the flight had originated in El Paso. We do not know if the migrants aboard, the 20 migrants aboard got on in Deming or El Paso," said Kim Nava, spokesperson for Sacramento County.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General said the company associated with the group of migrants arriving Friday appears to have also been involved in Monday's flight.
"The unfortunate reality is that because immigration continues to be a political issue, immigrants are used as a political football," said Shiu-Ming Cheer. "That it could very well be the case that migrants will continue to be bused into California or flown into California."
The California Immigrant Policy Center said it could be because California has made it clear it's a welcoming state.
However, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Sacramento County says, just like the first flight, they did not know the migrants were arriving, but it's offering both groups assistance as the California Department of Justice investigates.
Regardless of the circumstances, The California Policy Center believes California is prepared to take care of the migrants.
16 migrants dropped off at Sacramento diocese
The second flight comes after the arrival of 16 migrants from Colombia and Venezuela, who were taken from Texas to New Mexico before they were put on a chartered plane to California's capital Friday.
Religious leaders at the Catholic Church Diocese of Sacramento said migrants approaching their offices had no idea where they were and only carried a backpack's worth of belongings.
Sacramento Mayor Darrel Steinberg released a statement Saturday likening the drop-off to human trafficking.
"Whoever is behind this must answer the following: Is there anything more cruel than using scared human beings to score cheap political points? Sacramento represents the best of American values," Steinberg said in a statement. "We always welcome 'the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses,' and we always will."
Officials at the California Justice Department say they are investigating the circumstances of the flight to see if any laws have been broken.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said the migrants had documentation that appeared to show they came from Florida.
"While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting," said Bonta in a statement.