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.
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.”
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.”
“I’m proud of my Democratic colleagues who are willing to stand up to this thuggery. Trump is a wannabe gangster, and he’s showing the world what he’s about,” 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.
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.
A spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association suggested that the Democratic leaders of these states 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.
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