Three Democratic governors are testifying before Congress on Thursday about their states’ immigration policies, as protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts sweep the country.
Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York, and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois were called to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform long before the clashes in downtown Los Angeles began last week.
The protests against workplace immigration raids escalated after President Donald Trump called in the National Guard and the Marines.
However, House Republicans are likely set to note the violent scenes in California and in other parts of the country as they work to put down Democrats over immigration policies that the GOP argues protect criminals.
The hearing on Thursday is part of the Republicans’ efforts to use voters’ worries about immigration and crime for their political benefit.
Democrats, meanwhile, are divided on their party’s efforts to enforce immigration law, with some polling showing that they’re more vulnerable politically on the issue than Republicans are. At the same time, Democrats appear united in their attempts to argue that Trump’s immigration crackdown is an abuse of power and violates the Constitution.
Comer calls comparison between ICE and Gestapo ‘offensive’
Comer began questioning by taking aim at Walz, calling the comparison between ICE and the Gestapo “offensive.”
“Do you think that comments like that and rhetoric like that put ICE officers and other law enforcement in greater danger?” he asked.
Walz said any attacks on law enforcement are unacceptable, but was soon interrupted by Comer, who changed his focus to Pritzker.
In pictures: Democratic governors testify before Congress
‘We don’t do civil immigration enforcement,’ Hochul says
In her opening statement, Hochul said, “Since I’ve become governor, we’ve cooperated in handing over 1300 convicted criminals to ICE.”
“But what we don’t do is civil immigration enforcement. That’s the federal government’s job,” she added. “New Yorkers need their state troopers on our highways seizing guns and drugs.”
“States like mine are doing our part, but we can’t be expected to fix the broken immigration system,” said Hochul.
Trump says farmers complain about his immigration policy
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to say that “our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.”
“In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs,” he added. “This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”
Pritzker says border state politicians treat immigrants as ‘political pawns’
Pritzker said Illinois has “been strengthened by people from across the globe, seeking freedom, opportunity, and refuge here.”
“Recently, children, pregnant women, and others fled poverty, violence, and persecution, seeking asylum at our border,” he added. “Some border state politicians chose to treat them as political pawns, bussing them to states like mine and dropping them off in the dead of night in the freezing cold.”
“Illinois chose a different path,” he added. “Faced with a humanitarian crisis, our state made sure children and families did not go hungry or freeze to death. By doing so, we helped to maintain safety and order.”
Walz pushes back on notion Minnesota is a ‘sanctuary state’
In his opening statement, Walz defended his state, saying, “Minnesota has been ranked the fourth best state to live in, the second best state to raise a family in, and the third best state for jobs.”
“When it comes to serious crime, Minnesota has hit its lowest level in over three decades, and we consistently have lower violent crime rates than the US average,” he said.
He pushed back on the notion that Minnesota is a sanctuary state.
“Minnesota is not even a sanctuary state. The Minnesota legislature has passed no such bill making Minnesota a sanctuary state, and I have signed no such law. Minnesota cooperates with federal authorities in a number of ways,” he argued.
Lynch says comparing ICE arrest to Gestapo actions is ‘appropriate’
After Comer slammed Walz for comparing ICE to Trump’s Gestapo, Lynch pushed back.
“In late March, ICE agents wearing masks and hoodies detained Rümeysa Öztürk, and those of you who watched that, that abduction, when you compare the old films of the Gestapo grabbing people off the streets of Poland, and you compare them to those nondescript thugs who grabbed that that student, that graduate student, it does look like a Gestapo operation,” he said.
“She was snatched away and detained 1700 miles away. Her Congresswoman couldn’t reach her, her family couldn’t reach her. She was held incommunicado 1700 miles away. Her attorney could not reach her,” said Lynch.
“Yeah, that was Gestapo. That’s an appropriate comparison,” he added.
‘Californians are now forced to navigate an active military zone,’ ranking Democrat says
The ranking member of the committee, Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, used his opening statement to slam the Trump administration for its handling of immigration issues and the protests in California.
“As we sit in this hearing and at the order of President Trump, the National Guard are on the streets of Los Angeles, and active duty Marines are on their way at Trump’s order,” said Lynch. “Californians are now forced to navigate an active military zone in their midst as they try to go to work or decide if it’s safe to send their kids to school.”
Comer argues ‘unlimited illegal immigration’ is Democratic policy
Comer continued, saying that “Democrat-run sanctuary cities and states are siding with illegal aliens.”
“For today’s Democrat party, it seems unlimited illegal immigration isn’t a failure of policy, it is the policy, and that agenda is being pushed at every level of government,” he added. “And this comes at a steep cost to public safety, strains law enforcement resources, and imposes a massive financial burden on both federal and state taxpayers.”
Hearing begins with chairman’s opening statement
Chairman James Comer opened the hearing with his opening statement.
“Today, the House Oversight Committee will continue to examine the consequences of reckless and dangerous sanctuary policies that jeopardize public safety,” he said. “Three sanctuary state governors from Minnesota, New York, and Illinois are here to testify under oath about why they allow criminal illegal aliens to roam free in American communities.”
Source: independent.co.uk