Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said calls by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for the Department of Justice to investigate the Florida governor's flights of immigrants to California were "absurd."

DeSantis, when asked about the Golden State governor’s recent pleas, said sanctuary jurisdictions should be responsible for taking care of illegal immigrants. He made the comments while speaking on Fox Business's Varney & Co.

WALL OF WASTE: BIDEN ENDING TRUMP WALL LEAVES BORDER RANCHER WITH FIELD OF 'RUSTING' STEEL

"Well, I think it’s just absurd. I mean, California is a sanctuary state, and they actually provide benefits for illegal aliens, and so they’re serving really as a magnet for people to cross our border illegally. Don’t get me wrong, Stuart. We will shut the border down when I’m president. We’ll stop the invasion. We will build the border wall because I think you need that, and we’ll hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable for what they’ve done to poison tens of thousands of Americans every year," DeSantis said.

"At the same time, if you do have people here illegally and a court says they can stay until there’s some type of court date, I think that’s a bad system, but if it is, the sanctuary jurisdiction should be the one to have to bear that burden. We’re not a sanctuary state in Florida, and I think it’s wrong that states that are doing it right would have to bear a burden, and so they've asked for this, they've invited it, and they should step up," he added.

Newsom sent a letter, also signed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar, in which he implored the Justice Department to open an investigation into the transportation of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in 2022 and Sacramento, California, earlier this year.

The letter alleges that the state of Florida "deceived migrants into taking flights to these particular locations based on promises of jobs and shelter."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

DeSantis's office has stated that the immigrants on the planes gave written or verbal consent to their transport before boarding the planes.

Other governors, including Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), have participated in transporting immigrants from the southern border towns to large cities, such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.