The high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York are defending their states’ immigration insurance policies in a Republican-led Home 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 Home panel — many coping with their insurance policies as so-called “sanctuary states.” Their testimony comes as one other 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 Nationwide Guard to the world.
Sanctuary states nonetheless implement U.S. federal immigration legal guidelines, however the time period typically refers to a restricted collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement whereas enacting insurance policies which can be extra favorable to undocumented individuals.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and New York Governor Kathy Hochul attend a Home Oversight Committee listening to with U.S. governors about state insurance policies relating to undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., June 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
‘An overreach of epic proportions’
The governors slammed Trump’s determination to deploy troops to Los Angeles, with Hochul saying the actions “undermine sovereignty of particular person states.”
“Governors are the commanders in chief of the Nationwide Guard. They know what to do, as you have heard from my colleagues, we’ve deployed them on plenty of events. However confidence in native legislation enforcement — you are principally saying that there is not a perception that the extremely educated people of our municipal police departments like Los Angeles and town of New York … can deal with [their] jobs,” Hochul mentioned, including it is “an overreach of epic proportions.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker testifies earlier than a Home Oversight Committee listening to with U.S. governors about state insurance policies relating to undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Pritzker added that the choice goes towards typical protocol, which “tends to have an inflaming impact.” And Walz mentioned it is crucial that governors and the federal authorities to coordinate — particularly when coping with the Nationwide Guard.
“Absolutely the pinnacle and probably the most important piece is, is the coordination amongst them. As a governor, not being notified as native legislation enforcement, it creates a chaotic scenario that they can’t function as a joint unit,” Walz mentioned.
The listening to kicked off with a fiery assertion from Rating Member Stephen Lynch attacking Trump and his administration for his or her immigration insurance policies. Referencing the Los Angeles protests, Lynch mentioned deploying the navy towards civilians is “mistaken.”
“I am happy with my Democratic colleagues who’re keen to face as much as this thuggery. Trump is a wannabe gangster, and he is exhibiting the world what he is about,” the Massachusetts Democrat mentioned.
Stefanik, Jordan face off with Hochul
Republicans on the Home panel repeatedly pointed to particular incidents in every of the governor’s states about U.S. residents getting injured or killed by the hands of undocumented individuals.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik fired off at Hochul first about particular person circumstances of violence in New York by the hands of immigrants, repeatedly highlighting crime in “Kathy Hochul’s New York.” Later within the listening to, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan engaged in related questioning with the New York governor.
Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks throughout a Home Oversight Committee listening to with U.S. governors about state insurance policies relating to undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
“These are horrific crimes, crimes which can be dedicated in your watch,” Stefanik mentioned, later including that the governor was “prioritizing your far left sanctuary state insurance policies” — a press release Hochul denied.
Governors insist immigration is job for Congress
Republicans on the Committee accused the governors of overseeing an increase in crime and blocking legislation enforcement and ICE’s actions.
“I invited these governors right here immediately as a result of because the chief executives of their states, they willfully ignore a federal legislation, protect unlawful aliens and go the price of free providers onto their laborious working taxpayers,” Home Oversight Chair James Comer mentioned.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker testify earlier than a Home Oversight Committee listening to with U.S. governors about state insurance policies relating to undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The governors fired again, saying immigration within the nation is managed by the federal authorities.
“Whilst you’ve convened this listening to to discover the difficulty of so-called ‘sanctuary states.’ Minnesota will not be even a sanctuary state. Minnesota legislature has handed no such invoice making Minnesota sanctuary state, and I’ve signed no such legislation. Minnesota cooperates with federal authorities in plenty of methods,” Walz mentioned.
“However imposing immigration legislation will not be the position of native and state governments. The actual fact is, Congress has given federal companies the authority to implement immigration legal guidelines throughout this nation that features Minnesota, and I help them doing. So it is the federal authorities’s job to safe the border,” Walz added.
The governors additionally decried a few of Trump’s immigration platforms and up to date strikes, calling for “compassionate” coverage.
“As I’ve constantly mentioned, violent criminals don’t have any place on our streets and if they’re undocumented, I would like them out of Illinois and out of our nation,” Pritzker mentioned in his opening assertion.
In March, the Oversight Committee held one other newsy listening to with “sanctuary city” mayors together with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams. These leaders defended their actions on immigration enforcement whereas Republicans on the committee accused them of accelerating crime by defying Trump administration immigration insurance policies.
