Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to testify at House Oversight Committee hearing on ‘sanctuary policies’

WASHINGTON - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has agreed to testify before the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee in June as it seeks to investigate whether Democratic cities and states are shielding undocumented immigrants from deportation and carrying out “sanctuary policies.”

Walz will be joined by fellow Democratic Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York during the June 12 hearing. The committee called on Democratic mayors to testify on the same topic in March.

The hearing comes as Minnesota communities are facing uncertainty amid President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The Trump administration has focused on deporting undocumented immigrants, and Minneapolis and St. Paul both have policies that shield them from deportation. Both have been known to not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests.

Though Walz plans to testify, his office pushed back on the committee’s characterization of Minnesota’s immigration laws.

“Governor Walz is happy to work with Congress, but since Minnesota is not a sanctuary state, one can’t help but wonder if this is, perhaps, politically motivated,” Walz’s spokesperson Teddy Tschann said in a statement.

Trump signed an executive order last month aimed at identifying “sanctuary jurisdictions” and potentially cutting off federal funding for them.

Asked about potentially arresting local leaders who shied undocumented immigrants from deportation, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan cryptically said “wait till you see what’s coming,” and implied that the administration would treat such actions as a felony.

“The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement,” GOP House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer said in a statement.

 “The governors of these states 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, who launched an investigation into the policies of “sanctuary jurisdictions” in January, continued.

Comer told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Walz was the first of the three governors to respond to his request to testify: “I appreciate that,” the Kentucky congressman said of Walz’s promptness.

Republican members of the committee grilled mayors from Boston, New York and Chicago back in March and accused them of standing in the way of Trump’s immigration policies.

With no legal definition of sanctuary jurisdictions, the term leaves room for different interpretations. Many cities and counties differ in how they go about cooperating with immigration officials.

Minneapolis and St. Paul have “separation ordinances” that discourage or prohibit employees, including police, from asking residents about their immigration status, except when required by law. The cities’ laws also limit what data can be shared with federal immigration officials, unless by a court order.

Other Minnesota counties have similar policies limiting the information they gather on residents’ immigration status.

Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Christopher Magan contributed to this report.