On the same day that Florida Gov. The Ron DeSantis administration took responsibility for sending dozens of migrants seeking asylum to California,

T

The volunteers and organizers at Sacramento’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral declined to say the name of the Republican politician.

Instead, they wanted to talk about the 36 men and women they’ve been caring for this week, who they say were left exhausted, confused and frightened on the doorstep of a local church in what California officials have called a political stunt .

Gabby Trejo, executive director of Sacramento Area Congregations Together, said the migrants she took to church on Sunday had some walked thousands of miles over the course of several months from Venezuela to

the US America

reached into their pockets to offer a dollar for the offering plate.

“I said, no, you need it more than our church today. But they didn’t care. They still put it on the board,” Trejo said. “That’s when our new neighbors showed me what it means for them to be able to contribute to our community as well.”

Cecila Flores, who has been supporting the migrants since the first group arrived by plane on Friday, wiped away tears at a press conference on Tuesday.

In their

1920s and 1930s

,

twenties and thirties,

most

of the migrants

are the first in their family to reach the US and are eager to work, she said. Some are married. One brought a dog named Gieco.

When she asks them simple questions like what they want to eat, they say

are shy

.

conflict.

Everything is fine, they always say.

“It’s been years since I’ve been able to choose my own clothes,” one man told Flores, an organizer with Sacramento ACT, after a volunteer took him to the thrift store. Until then, he had depended on clothes given to him, she said.

The identity of the migrants, who also came from countries including

ColombiaColumbia

and Guatemala, remain secret as the California Justice Department investigates the incident. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened conservative presidential candidate DeSantis with kidnapping charges.

Organizers said on Tuesday the migrants had arrived at the Texas border, where they were met by people claiming to be on a relocation program, promising housing and jobs. They were then taken to New Mexico and flown to Sacramento on a chartered plane.

Representatives for DeSantis, who last year flew migrants to liberal Martha’s Vineyard as a statement against progressive immigration policies, said Tuesday that the Sacramento group agreed to go to California.

Alecia Collins, a spokesperson for Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, called the flights “voluntary relocation.” A contractor made sure they made it safe, she said.

The statement included a video showing more than a dozen people signing paperwork and boarding a private jet. It later shows a person saying they have arrived in California. The video features people laughing and dancing, and a man talks about his experience migrating through Central America.

The people who worked with them on the ground in Sacramento said the migrants had no idea where they were going. Their “American dream” quickly became “a nightmare,” said Trejo, who said they had been duped.

by Florida officials.

Local church leaders and nonprofit organizations have worked with city and county officials to help them.

With the help of donations and volunteers, faith-based groups such as Sacramento ACT and PICO California have provided temporary housing, clothing, food and cell phones for the migrants, as well as duffel bags for them to store their new gear.

They have rushed to put them in touch with lawyers so they can plan for upcoming immigration hearings. The county sent a nurse to do checks. Volunteers have also reached out to mental health professionals, dentists and hair stylists, as some have not had a haircut in months.

A rebellious mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat and former Senate Majority Leader, painted a picture of a brutal political ploy gone wrong. The migrants are welcome here, he said, even as the city struggles with a homelessness crisis.

The migrants are safe, “well cared for” and “in good spirits,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk about who did this, who probably did this. They’re not worth being worthy of,” Steinberg said. “If this is an attempt to send a message, I can probably say, ‘Message received.’ But the way we receive the message may be different than the one who did this intended. We’re going to welcome people.”

While Steinberg said he aimed to make Sacramento’s mission apolitical, Newsom was not shy about blaming DeSantis by name.

“Now, who is ultimately responsible and accountable? I mean, the money should stop with Ron DeSantis and the games he plays,” Newsom told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview Tuesday. “But it’s the people on the front lines who do the dirty work. And that’s ultimately what we need to determine, where the blame ends up and where it resides.”

In a statement in response to the video from DeSantis’ team, PICO California said they will continue to protect the migrants from

press the press

to avoid their involvement in ‘political theatre’. Volunteers at the church on Tuesday read from statements some migrants had written or included in voice memos to protect their identities.

“I could never have imagined what happened in the last few days. My journey has had many difficult moments, but I thank God. I hope to have a good life here and I was welcomed with open arms,” ​​one woman wrote . “I want to work and serve. We’re here to help.”

Los Angeles Times writer Melanie Mason contributed to this report.