The House Oversight Committee is set to hear from Democratic governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Kathy Hochul of New York during a pivotal session focused on immigration policy. The hearing, scheduled for Thursday, has drawn attention as Republican members of the committee criticize what they deem ‘sanctuary’ policies that purportedly protect criminal illegal aliens from immigration enforcement.
The hearing occurs amidst a backdrop of immigration controversies in other Democratic-led states, including California, which has seen a surge in protests related to immigration. These events prompted President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the region.
Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee invited the governors to testify, asserting that while the Trump administration is taking significant steps to deport criminal illegal aliens, states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively obstructing federal immigration enforcement. In a media briefing, Comer expressed, “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.”
While sanctuary states maintain enforcement of U.S. federal immigration laws, they often adopt limited collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to policies seen as more accommodating towards undocumented individuals. Preparing for the hearing, the governors are expected to defend their immigration records and discuss how their states cooperate with federal immigration efforts.
A spokesperson for Governor Pritzker stated, “Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, Governor Pritzker will share facts about how this bipartisan public safety law is fully compliant with federal law and ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well.” Additionally, Illinois has enlisted external legal counsel to navigate the committee’s inquiries, with officials claiming that “congressional Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars all to find out that Illinois has always followed the law.”
A representative from the Democratic Governors Association emphasized that their leaders are concentrating on governance, rather than engaging in political theatrics. Johanna Warshaw, a spokesperson, remarked, “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.”
Earlier this year, the Oversight Committee held a hearing involving mayors from sanctuary cities, including Chicago’s Brandon Johnson and New York City’s Eric Adams, who faced accusations from Republicans of exacerbating crime through their immigration policies.
On the eve of the hearing, House Oversight Republicans released a digital advertisement aiming to illustrate how sanctuary policies fail to protect Americans. The ad features news reports about crimes related to immigration, along with statements from the mayors and clips of Pritzker, Walz, and Hochul discussing immigration policy. The committee’s official account on X stated, “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.”