Democratic governors Pritzker, Walz, Hochul face contentious House hearing over 'sanctuary states' policies

 

Democratic governors Pritzker, Walz, Hochul face contentious House hearing over 'sanctuary states' policies

The governors faced questions about the Los Angeles protest response






The high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York are defending their states' immigration policies in a Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Thursday -- weighing in on the ongoing Los Angeles protests over immigration enforcement.

JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York are taking questions from the House panel -- many dealing with their policies as so-called "sanctuary states." Their testimony comes as another Democratic-led state -- California -- is grappling with a slew of immigration-related protests that triggered President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the area.

PHOTO: Governors Tim Walz, JB Pritzker and Kathy Hochul attend a House Oversight Committee hearing with U.S. governors about state policies regarding undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 12, 2025.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and New York Governor Kathy Hochul attend a House Oversight Committee hearing with U.S. gov...
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

The governors slammed Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, with Hochul saying it "undermines sovereignty."

"It's basically saying the highly training individuals … can't handle their jobs," Hochul said, adding it's an "overreach of epic proportions."

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker testifies before a House Oversight Committee hearing with U.S. governors about state policies regarding undocumented mig...
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Pritzker added that the decision goes against typical protocol, which "tends to have an inflaming effect."

The hearing kicked off with a fiery statement from Ranking Member Stephen Lynch attacking Trump and his administration for their immigration policies. Referencing the Los Angeles protests, Lynch said deploying the military against civilians is "wrong."

"If we don't step up, it will continue. If we don't step up, other citizens will meet the same fate," the Massachusetts Democrat said.

During the hearing, House Republicans have slammed the governors, citing examples where illegal immigrants committed crimes in their states and the governors didn't assist in effectively removing them.

Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks during a House Oversight Committee hearing with U.S. governors about state policies regarding undocumented migrants, on Cap...
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Sanctuary states still enforce U.S. federal immigration laws, but the term often refers to a limited collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while enacting policies that are more favorable to undocumented people.

The governors have fired back, saying immigration in the country is managed by the federal government.

House Oversight Chair James Comer requested in April that these Democratic governors testify, claiming that the "Trump administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation, but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement."

"The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable," Comer said in a media advisory for the upcoming hearing.

Rep. James Comer, Committee Chair, speaks during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing with sanctuary city mayors, at the...
Graeme Sloan for The Washington Post via Getty Images

A spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association also suggested that their leaders are focused on governing rather than spending time on "political stunts."

"While Republicans in D.C. spend their time pulling political stunts, Democratic governors are busy getting real things done for their states, lowering costs, and keeping people safe," Johanna Warshaw, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement.

In March, the Oversight Committee held another newsy hearing with "sanctuary city" mayors including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Those leaders defended their actions on immigration enforcement while Republicans on the committee accused them of increasing crime by defying Trump administration immigration policies.

On Wednesday, House Oversight Republicans released a three-minute digital ad to show "how sanctuary polices do not protect Americans," which features buzzy news broadcasts about immigration-adjacent crimes, testimony from mayors earlier this spring at the "sanctuary cities" House hearing and video clips of Pritzker, Walz and Hochul speaking about immigration policy.

"Sanctuary governors are shielding CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, then pretending the consequences don't exist. Tomorrow Hochul, Walz, and Pritzker will be in the hot seat as their policies cause CHAOS in their states. Here's what they don't want you to see," the Committee's official account Congress





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