Walz, Other Top Dems Set to Testify on Sanctuary Policies That ‘Protect Criminal Illegal Aliens’
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has summoned three Democratic governors to testify before Congress about their sanctuary policies.
This escalates the battle between the Trump administration and states refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on June 12 to defend their states’ approaches to immigration enforcement.
The hearing represents a significant escalation in Chairman Comer’s investigation into sanctuary jurisdictions, which began earlier this year with testimony from Democratic mayors of major cities including Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York.
“Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens,” Comer declared in his announcement of the upcoming hearing. He praised President Trump’s border security efforts while criticizing the policies of the previous administration.
Comer stated that the Trump administration is actively working to deport individuals with criminal records who are in the country illegally, but sanctuary jurisdictions are obstructing these efforts.
“These governors 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, framing the issue as a matter of public safety rather than immigration policy.
The Kentucky Republican has been leading an aggressive investigation into sanctuary policies since January, when the committee formally launched its probe into jurisdictions that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Comer contends these cities and states are selectively enforcing federal laws, potentially endangering communities in the process.
Critics of sanctuary policies argue they create safe havens for dangerous individuals and put additional strain on local services.
In April, Comer expanded his investigation to the state level, demanding documentation and communications from the three governors now scheduled to testify.
The upcoming hearing will require them to defend their policies under direct questioning from committee members.
The congressional showdown comes amid President Trump’s reinstatement of various immigration enforcement measures, which he has characterized as efforts to “restore law and order” to American cities following what Republicans describe as the worst border crisis in U.S. history.
Federal immigration agents have increased deportations of individuals with criminal records, even as tensions with sanctuary jurisdictions continue to rise across the country.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is continuing to investigate sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States and their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws of the United States,” Comer told Fox News in a statement about the investigation.
He added that sanctuary jurisdictions “hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities,” directly threatening Americans’ safety.
Trending Politics reported that in January, President Trump signed an executive order designed to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions through withholding federal funding and pursuing legal actions against officials who obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
However, on April 24, a federal judge issued an injunction that temporarily prevents the administration from denying funds to sanctuary jurisdictions, citing potential constitutional violations in the executive order’s approach.
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