Hearing Wrap Up: Sanctuary State Governors Endanger American Lives by Defying Federal Immigration Enforcement Efforts

WASHINGTON—The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee hearing today titled, “A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors.” At the hearing, Republican members publicly questioned and held accountable Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul for their sanctuary policies that endanger Americans by shielding criminal illegal aliens from federal immigration enforcement. During the hearing, the sanctuary governors refused to condemn their states’ reckless policies when confronted with the devastating costs for Americans. Republican members concluded that American citizens deserve to be safe in their country and Congress must evaluate federal funding allocated to sanctuary jurisdictions to ensure governors who actively choose to defy federal immigration law are held accountable.        

Key Takeaways:

President Donald Trump is delivering on his promises to the American people by taking bold action to secure the border, enforce the immigration laws of the United States, and remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our communities.

• Chairman James Comer: “Americans voted to end the Biden Border Crisis, and President Trump has delivered on his promise to secure our borders. He has taken bold, decisive action to restore our sovereignty and make America safer with each passing day. And here in Congress, we are working to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement so it can carry out the mass deportation of criminal illegal aliens. Despite President Trump’s efforts to secure the border and enforce the law, 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.”

Sanctuary state governors could not defend their reckless rhetoric and policies, which are putting American lives at risk, shielding dangerous criminal illegal aliens, and obstructing lawful federal immigration enforcement.

• Assaults on ICE officers are up 400 percent compared to this time last year. Just a few weeks ago, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz stood at a commencement podium and smeared ICE agents as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.” Chairman James Comer declared: “Comparing brave law enforcement officers – who risk their lives to uphold federal law – to genocidal Nazi thugs is not just wrong, it’s vile and disgusting.” At the hearing, Governor Walz repeatedly refused to apologize for his comments. 
• New York Governor Kathy Hochul reauthorized an executive order in January to shield dangerous criminal illegal aliens from accountability. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) noted: “Your executive order states ‘Law enforcement officers have no authority in the state of New York to take any policy action solely because the person is an undocumented alien.’ That’s a quote in your executive orders that you extended… you are prioritizing far-left sanctuary state policies, which you put in place with executive orders, instead of advocating for victims like a five-year-old who was raped by an illegal criminal.”  
• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is facing lawsuits for obstructing ICE operations. In January, Katie Abraham was tragically killed in a car crash near the University of Illinois in Urbana. Urbana, like the state of Illinois, is a sanctuary jurisdiction. Katie’s killer was a previously deported criminal illegal alien who was driving drunk and fled the scene. The family of Katie Abraham attended today’s hearing.

Congress must not allocate a single federal dollar to states that put criminal illegal aliens ahead of the safety and well-being of the American people.

• Chairman James Comer: “These Governors handcuff law enforcement from doing their jobs, harbor predators, and call it ‘compassion.’ It is NOT compassion, and it is costing lives, hurting Americans, and draining taxpayer money. 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. Americans want a return to common sense. The Trump Administration and this Republican Congress aims to restore our safety and sovereignty.”

Member Highlights:

Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated that the open-border policies of the Biden-Harris Administration allowed millions of dangerous criminal illegal aliens to infiltrate our communities. 

Rep. Comer: “Instead of putting America First, the Biden-Harris Administration deliberately dismantled border security to unleash the worst border disaster in American history. Their radical policies allowed millions of illegals to flood our country.”

Chairman Comer also underscored the devastating consequences of sanctuary state policies, emphasizing that illegal aliens who commit crimes in the United States should never have been allowed to enter the country in the first place.

Rep. Comer: “Katie Abraham had her whole life ahead of her and it was cut off in an instant. The criminal illegal alien that caused Katie to lose her life should never have been here. He didn’t just flee the scene; he fled the sanctuary state of Illinois and was apprehended by federal marshals in Texas using a false name. Katie was just 20 years old. She had a bright future ahead of her that was stolen from her and her loving family. This was a preventable crime. Unfortunately, there are too many instances where criminal illegal aliens have harmed Americans. Let me be clear: sanctuary policies don’t protect Americans. They protect criminal illegal aliens. This is a fact that the Abraham family knows all too well.” 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) condemned New York Governor Kathy Hochul for endangering American lives by signing an executive order that grants sanctuary to criminal illegal aliens. She spotlighted several tragic cases in New York where illegal criminal aliens targeted and killed innocent women.

Rep. Stefanik: “Governor Hochul, on your first day in office, you signed Executive Order One, is that correct?”

Governor Hochul: “I believe it is.” 

Rep. Stefanik: “And you extended this executive order, not once, not twice, but three times. Most recently January 16th of this year. Is that correct?”  

Gov. Hochul: “If that’s what your facts show. I signed countless executive orders.”

Rep. Stefanik: “I would assume you’d know it’s Executive Order One, and this is a continuation of your predecessor’s sanctuary state policies, correct? It’s included in that.”  

Gov. Hochul: “I want to be sure we are defining sanctuary state.” 

Rep. Stefanik: “I’ll define it for you. It is a policy of the state that ‘state officers or employees shall not disclose information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement.’ It goes on to say, ‘law enforcement officers may not use resources, equipment, or personnel for the purpose of detecting and apprehending any individual suspected or wanted for violating a civil immigration office. Law enforcement officers have no authority in the state of New York to take any policy action solely because the person is an undocumented alien.’ That’s a quote in your executive orders that you extended. Now, do you know Sakhir Akhan is?” You should, as the Governor of New York State. Do you know?”

Gov. Hochul: “Refresh my recollection.” 

Rep. Stefanik: “He was an illegal migrant in New York. And do you know what crime he committed, in addition to being here illegally?” 

Gov. Hochul: “No, I do not.” 
 
Rep. Stefanik: “You do not? This was widely reported. He found a 15-year-old girl, threatened her with a metal pole, told her to get into the backseat of his car, he took her clothes off, and he violently raped her in Albany, New York. Do you know who Sebastian Zapita Khalil is?”  

Gov. Hochul: “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
 
Rep. Stefanik: “These are high profile cases, New Yorkers know about them, and you don’t. So, let’s talk about Sebastian Zapita Khalil. Do you know who that is? This is an illegal migrant in New York because of your sanctuary state policies. Do you know what crime he committed?” 
 
Gov. Hochul: “I’m not familiar at this moment.” 
 
Rep. Stefanik: “I bet you’re going to be familiar when I remind you. He found a sleeping woman on the subway, lit her on fire, and burned her alive. This is in Kathy Hochul’s New York. And as I’m sure you’re aware, and I’ll remind you, that ICE issued an order to detain this violent criminal, but that was rejected by New York officials, due to sanctuary state laws.”

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) exposed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s handouts to illegal aliens, including free healthcare, free college tuition, and drivers’ licenses.

Rep. Emmer: “I’m going to run through a series of facts…so let’s get started. Governor Waltz, you signed the Health and Human Services omnibus bill into law in May of 2023. That bill expanded Minnesota care to provide free healthcare to illegal aliens. You signed the Higher Education omnibus bill into law in May of 2023. That bill allows illegals to have their college tuition paid for by the state. You signed the Driver’s License for All Act into law in March of 2023 and that bill allows illegals to receive drivers’ licenses. So, you claim you’re not a sanctuary state, you just provide free healthcare, free college, and drivers licenses to illegal aliens. You’re here testifying before us today because you refuse to cooperate with ICE while states like Florida and Virginia empower their law enforcement to detain and remove criminal illegal aliens. You have done just the opposite. Your attorney general is directing law enforcement to ignore ICE immigration detainers. Do you agree with the attorney general’s guidance? 

Rep. Emmer added that Governor Walz’s dangerous rhetoric and sanctuary state policies are sabotaging federal immigration authorities, including ICE, from removing violent criminals from communities across Minnesota. Governor Walz refused to publicly apologize for labeling courageous ICE agents as modern-day Gestapo.

Rep. Emmer: “You claim you’re not a sanctuary state, but you support policies that prevent ICE from doing their job. That’s what you tweeted on May 23, 2018, you tweeted quote ‘I support policies that keep law enforcement from enforcing federal laws.’ On May 17th just this spring at the University of Minnesota, you said ‘Donald trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets.’ When you said the words modern day Gestapo, you were referring to ICE agents. So, you’re calling ICE agents modern day Nazis. Given the attacks on ICE agents that took place in Los Angeles over the weekend, don’t you regard your dangerous inflammatory rhetoric as a problem? It saddens me that you refuse to express regret from comparing ICE to Nazis. ICE agents are brave Americans who get up every morning, leave their families, and put their lives in harm’s way to protect our country. Inflammatory rhetoric such as yours and the other governors on this panel are responsible for putting a target on the back of every ICE agent who is risking their life to protect our communities. Minnesota is all too familiar by the way with the chaos that ensues when you refuse to work with law enforcement to enforce the law. In may 2020, looting acts of violence and arson occurred on your watch in Minneapolis after you refused to bring in the National Guard. Governor your agenda is clear: free healthcare, free college, and drivers’ licenses for illegals while interfering with law enforcement when they’re trying to protect our citizens and their communities. If you think that’s not a sanctuary state, you shouldn’t be governor.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) detailed how sanctuary states like New York are refusing to hand over apprehended illegal aliens to ICE, opting instead to release dangerous criminals back into our communities.

Rep. Jordan: “Who is Jesus Romero Hernandez?”

Gov. Hochul: “I don’t have the details on every single person in the state.” 

Rep. Jordan: “Let me help you. This guy’s a citizen of Mexico, deported 7 times, came to your state, assaulted one of your New York residents with a machete and a police officer, then when he was in custody, assaulted another officer, ICE then finds out this guy is in your custody, and they send you a detainer. New York tells ICE we cannot and will not hold Mr. Hernandez. We can’t keep the machete guy who would choke the police officer and the corrections officer. They tell ICE we’re not going to hold this guy. 7 minutes later ICE responds back and says we will be there to take custody this evening. 24 minutes later ICE is told we’re not going to have him. We’re not going to turn him over. ICE still arrives at the jail one hour and 18 minutes later and guess what? Mr. Hernandez is not there. They couldn’t wait one hour and 18 minutes for a guy who assaulted one of your residents with a machete, took on the police officer, and then when in custody assaulted another officer? That is sanctuary policy in a nutshell. That is what your state supports and so do these other governors. That is what is so wrong and why the American people voted to restore law and order.”

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) pointed out that Illinois Governor Pritzker’s administration funded a local group, Organized Communities Against Deportations, which recently led a march through Chicago demanding the abolition of ICE.

Rep. Gill: “Do you support abolishing ICE?”

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: “I don’t.”

Rep. Gill: “You believe a budget is a moral document, correct?”

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: “I do.”

Rep. Gill: “Yeah, you tweeted that. Well, your administration gave $12,000 to the Organized Communities Against Deportations which just this past month was marching in the streets of Chicago with signs saying abolish ICE… This is your choice. They don’t have a right to tax dollars.”

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) highlighted that New York is spending approximately $4 billion to provide illegal immigrants support, yet Governor Hochul is seeking billions more in taxpayer funds from the federal government to support New York City projects.

Rep. Donalds: “Governor Hochul, you spend about roughly $4 billion on illegal immigration and at the same time you are actually asking the federal government for $4 billion to finish Penn Station. Don’t you think it would be better to stop funding illegal immigrants in your state and actually use those resources to finish Penn Station as opposed to coming to the federal government for the money? New Yorkers don’t want to live there anymore. Many of them are coming to Florida. They come all the time because they actually want to be in a state that is well run, that protects citizens, does not allow illegal aliens to victimize citizens like they are victimized in the state of New York, like they are victimized in the state of Illinois, like they are victimized in the state of Minnesota. They choose states like Florida and Texas to find safer places to live and raise their families.”

Rep. Langworthy (R-N.Y.) exposed that a sanctuary state law in New York allows officials to withhold data on violent criminal illegal aliens from local and federal law enforcement—putting American lives at risk.

Rep. Langworthy: “I would like to remind you of someone named Gianfranco Torres Navarro, an illegal alien and suspected leader of a violent Peruvian gang. He was tied to 23 murders in Peru and came to this country illegally across the southern border. He had his victims’ faces tattooed on his body, and he was hiding in plain sight in Endicott, New York for an extended period of time where ICE could not locate him. And why did it take so long to find him? Because policies like your Green Light Law, which blocks ICE and U.S. Border Patrol from accessing critical DMV databases. In fact, it threatens the badges, it threatens to charge with felonies, any officer that shares that DMV data with federal agents. These agents rely on data to be able to know who they’re pulling over on the side of the road. They’re taking lives into their hands every time they’re trying to keep our streets safe. The really sick irony here is that your government in New York, my home state, freely shares that same DMV data with the Government of Canada, at our bridges in your and my hometown. But it doesn’t share that data with your American federal government. This is data that’s needed in real time to enforce the laws on the streets. They can’t subpoena these records from your government. I’ve had these conversations with my county sheriffs, all across the State of New York, state police. They want to work with the federal officials, they want to clean up these messes. But they can’t, because they are being threatened by you and our Attorney General, and you’ll take away their badge and end their careers.” Sheriffs from Erie County, Niagara County, Monroe, Albany, Broome, Dutchess, and Oneida Counties––multiple parties represented here––not just Republicans––have warned that your law ties their hands and puts officers’ lives in danger, and it shields criminals from accountability.

Gov. Hochul: “We turn over the information you’re referring to all the time…”

Rep. Langworthy: “As much as I want to believe you, Governor, I believe the cops more. I believe the cops that I know, and I trust in our same hometown that are out there in the streets every single day. Your laws put lives in danger, your laws have led to people being murdered.”

Read More:

Comer: Democrat Governors are Prioritizing the Protection of Criminal Illegal Aliens Over the Safety of American Citizens