Gavin Newsom Asks DOJ for ‘Kidnapping’ Investigation Into GOP Governors Who Relocate Migrants

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Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland Thursday in which he asked for a “kidnapping” investigation where “relevant” into Republican governors who fly or bus migrants away from their states.

Govs. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Doug Ducey (R-AZ) have been bussing migrants to Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. all summer.

Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) sent an estimated 50 migrants on two planes to the exclusive island of Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast. DeSantis’ decision sparked outrage.

In a letter to Garland, Newsom asked for a thorough investigation of the governors without naming them. He said their actions are “morally reprehensible” and might be “illegal.”

Newsom wrote:

Several of the individuals who were transported to Martha’s Vineyard have alleged that a recruiter induced them to accept the offer of travel based on false representations that they would be transported to Boston and would receive expedited access to work authorization. The interstate travel at issue provides a basis for federal jurisdiction over this matter.

Accordingly, I strongly urge the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ) to open an investigation into possible criminal or civil violations of federal law based on this alleged fraudulent scheme. In particular, I urge US DOJ to investigate whether the alleged fraudulent inducement would support charges of kidnapping under relevant state laws, which could serve as a predicate offense for charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970.

Newsom stated the allegations from some migrants show there might have been an effort to “humiliate and dehumanize them.”

“Accordingly, I urge US DOJ to investigate whether the alleged targeting of these individuals based on their national origin, in violation of their right to equal protection under the law, constituted a civil rights conspiracy in violation of 42 U.S.C. section 1985,” he wrote. “Finally, although I believe US DOJ’s investigation should include these possible avenues, there may be others US DOJ can and should pursue.”

Newsom concluded the letter by calling the issue of relocating migrants an issue of “protecting human rights.”

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