Gavin Newsom on Monday took his feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis to a new level, accusing him of kidnapping charges after California officials claimed South American immigrants were sent to Sacramento by Florida as a political stunt. appears to have threatened the governor.

Democrat Newsom cited state kidnapping laws in a tweet He called the Florida governor and Republican presidential nominee a “little pathetic guy.”

“This is not Martha’s Vineyard. Suspicion of kidnapping?” Mr. Newsom said in a tweet, referring to Mr. DeSantis’ last year’s act of sending a group of Venezuelan immigrants to a wealthy and free vacation destination in Massachusetts. rice field.

Newsom said 16 Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants were transported from Texas to New Mexico, then chartered to Sacramento and dropped off at a church on Friday.

A plane carrying 20 immigrants arrived in Sacramento on Monday. Both groups were operated by the same contractor and had documents showing Florida’s involvement in the transport, according to California Department of Justice officials.

Mr Newsom said the administration was working with authorities to “investigate the circumstances”, including who paid for the flight, whether immigration was misunderstood, and whether there were any violations of the law, such as kidnapping.

It’s unclear what legal action the state plans to take. After Newsom tweeted a kidnapping threat, his publicist postponed questioning Ati. General Rob Bonta’s office. Bonta said over the weekend that he was “considering the possibility of criminal or civil proceedings,” but did not provide additional details on Monday.

DeSantis representatives did not respond to written inquiries from The Times. His campaign press team on Twitter made no mention of Newsom’s tweeted accusations, and DeSantis did not mention the incident in his Monday morning Fox News radio appearance.

The question is whether Mr. Newsom intends to take legal action over immigrant interstate transportation, or if the two governors have used the incident to stage their own version of political drama as the two governors compete for national attention. Are you going to run the risk of being criticized?

“Like most moves on immigration, this affects both positions,” said Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant. “Republicans love DeSantis for this, and Democrats love the opportunity to show Democrat acceptance and tolerance.”

Newsom is known for tweeting sharp political messages without having a fully formed policy to back them up.Earlier this year, he announced that California Deal with Walgreens ‘done’ A pharmacy chain announced it would no longer distribute abortion pills in some states, but the administration had to back off due to federal law. “Tweeting is not policy,” a Newsome aide said at the time.

In another example, gasoline prices soared last year, Newsom posted on Twitter He called for a new “windfall tax” on the oil companies, claimed Californians that the oil companies were a “rip off” and that the plan would send the money “directly back to you.” Six months later, however, Newsom rejected the request and instead worked with Congress to pass legislation to increase oversight of the industry.

Last year, when Mr. DeSantis claimed responsibility for sending dozens of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Mr. Newsom wrote to Mr. Athi in the United States. General Merrick Garland — what he posted on twitter — calls for a federal investigation. Asked about the status of the request, a Newsom spokesperson directed questions to the Justice Department but did not respond to an inquiry on Monday.

Calvin Kia Abbasi, spokesman for PICO California, a faith-based nonprofit that helps immigrants in Sacramento, said they “should be entitled” by the state and benefit from due process of law. said to receive.

“They were taken out of nowhere and dropped in the middle of the California capital with nothing on their backs,” he said. “They deserve to behave in ways that serve their inherent dignity as human beings, and to do otherwise is an affront to their humanity.”

Affected immigrants in California could join a federal class action lawsuit against the city of DeSantis and Florida officials over the 2022 Martha’s Vineyard case.

pending litigation, The lawsuit, filed by civil rights attorneys, alleges that Florida officials, including Mr. DeSantis, chartered a plane from Texas to Massachusetts as part of a plan to “defraud vulnerable immigrants to advance their political motives.” claim.

Oren Sellström, civil rights attorneys’ litigation chief, said the group’s attorneys were “on the ground” in California and asked about the latest organized flight and whether it matched their lawsuit. He said he was investigating.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of affected immigrants in Massachusetts, charges officials in the City of DeSantis and Florida with allegations of wrongful seizure, false arrest and fraud.

“Individuals and private companies involved in this kind of despicable conduct can certainly face both civil and criminal prosecution,” Sellstrom said. “The long-term effects of stunts like this…people were traumatized by the realization that they had been abandoned.”

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in Sacramento, home of Democratic leaders in California.Last year eight Venezuelan immigrants It was flown from Texas to Sacramento Some have little cash and no shoes.

NorCal Resist organizer Autumn Gonzalez said the men remained in Sacramento and had no legal way to work. Her organization continues to provide them with housing, food and resources because they are ineligible for state-provided social safety net services because of their immigration status.

“If more people come, they’re welcome here. We’d love to get them,” she said. “We don’t think people should be used as political pawns or as some sort of statement about immigration. It’s just wrong.”

Martha’s Vineyard has grabbed national attention, and DeSantis has been at the forefront of the immigration debate with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who last year bussed immigrants to Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Howard Polskin, author of Writing, a newsletter that monitors right-wing news outlets, said the conservative media were particularly fascinated.

But this time, “it’s a ghost story,” Polskin said. “Ignored.”

The lack of interest reflects DeSantis, who appeared to have the upper hand heading into the 2022 election, is struggling to dominate the right-wing political story.

“With more and more candidates throwing their hats in the ring, he doesn’t get as much attention,” Polskin said.

Last month, DeSantis signed a bill to strengthen the transfer program Funded a flight to Martha’s Vineyard.This Act Provided $12 Million for Immigrant Migration, It expanded requirements for companies to verify the legal status of workers and required hospitals receiving Medicaid patients to ask citizenship questions on questionnaires, but some immigrant rights advocates said this They argue that the move could deter people illegally in the United States from seeking treatment.

As Mr. Newsom seeks to further his credentials as a National Democratic figure, Mr. DeSantis has become one of his favorite foils.

He dumped DeSantis in Sunshine State and paid for television ads urging residents to “join the fight or join us in California.” He challenged the governor of Florida to a televised debate. He visited DeSantis’ home base to denounce efforts to restructure education in the state.

DeSantis also tweaked Newsom, saying in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley that the California governor seemed “very concerned about what we’re doing in Florida” and that Americans He said he “voted with his feet” by leaving. from the blue states.

Republican consultant Scott Jennings said Mr. DeSantis often achieves his political success by challenging the rule of liberal governors. He enjoyed contrasting his own governance during the COVID-19 pandemic with that of then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who later resigned over sexual misconduct allegations. is.

Mr. DeSantis “has made a name for himself within the party as a true warrior by being constantly compared to Mr. Cuomo,” Jennings said. “Now that he’s gone, the next best foil is Newsome. Republicans think he’s stupid.”

but indicated by polls Martha’s Vineyard immigration shipments didn’t particularly change the dynamics of the 2022 midterm elections, but the move resonated with Republican voters. Republican strategist Sarah Longwell, who hosts focus groups with voters across the country, said voters were speaking “in undeniably positive terms” about DeSantis sending immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, and that it said it was the number one reason they viewed Mr. DeSantis positively.

The strategist said DeSantis had been a strong performer in Longwell’s focus group for a time, but the trend is returning to Trump, who began attacking the governor of Florida.

The flight could give Mr. DeSantis another chance to attract the attention of prospective voters.

“He’s trying to outmaneuver MAGA Trump, and that can come in the form of who is, or seems to be, the toughest against illegal immigration,” Longwell said.