Walz, Hochul, and Pritzker defend sanctuary policies as House GOP demands defunding states over ICE resistance.

Three Democratic governors—Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York, and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois—faced intense scrutiny from congressional Republicans on Thursday during a high-profile House Oversight Committee hearing over their states' sanctuary policies and resistance to federal immigration enforcement.

The hearing took place as California Governor Gavin Newsom remained at odds with President Donald Trump regarding the federal deployment of the National Guard to contain violent unrest in Los Angeles. Recent anti-ICE riots in the city prompted a federal response, sparking a national debate on local versus federal control in immigration enforcement.

GOP Demands Defunding of Sanctuary States

In opening remarks, Oversight Chairman James Comer accused the governors of undermining public safety. “These Governors handcuff law enforcement from doing their jobs, harbor predators, and call it ‘compassion,’” Comer said. “Congress must consider whether to defund every single penny of federal dollars going to cities and states that prioritize criminal aliens over the American people.”

Governor Newsom received support from the testifying governors, who issued a joint statement condemning federal involvement in local law enforcement responses. “We stand with Governor Newsom,” the statement read, adding that federal interference had escalated tensions rather than resolved them.

Democratic Governors Defend Policies Amid Protests

Protests in support of sanctuary policies spread beyond California, with mass demonstrations disrupting areas in New York City and Chicago. In his prepared testimony, Governor Pritzker defended Illinois’s stance on immigration, emphasizing humanitarian concerns. “The State of Illinois chose a different path,” he said, criticizing other states for using migrants as political pawns.

Pritzker described the crisis at the border as both humanitarian and political. He challenged border state policies that bused migrants to northern states, calling such actions dehumanizing and contrary to American values. “Would we do everything possible to make the promise of America the practice of America?” he asked.

Republican lawmakers, however, remained unconvinced. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan accused sanctuary states of undermining law enforcement and public safety. “Seventy-seven million people gave President Trump a mandate last November to put an end to the Democrats' prioritization of illegal aliens over American citizens,” Jordan stated.

Representative Pat Fallon of Texas echoed those criticisms, labeling sanctuary policies as dangerous virtue signaling. He took direct aim at Newsom’s leadership, suggesting that Californians are leaving the state to escape policies he claimed encourage “illegal migrant crime and anarchist thugs.”

The hearing, set for 10 a.m. Eastern, is expected to shape the ongoing debate over federal funding, immigration control, and the limits of state autonomy. As the political divide deepens, governors and federal lawmakers appear poised for continued conflict over immigration enforcement and constitutional authority.