Walz defends Minnesota immigration laws; Republicans slam governor on ICE ‘Gestapo’ remarks

WASHINGTON - Republicans sparred with Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday, pressing him at a U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on whether Minnesota complies with federal immigration laws while admonishing him for recently saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were a “modern-day Gestapo.”

In a full-day hearing, Republicans zeroed in on Walz’s time on the 2024 presidential campaign trail, as well as his ICE remarks, accusing him of trying to incite violence against agents. Many GOP members tried to get him to apologize to the federal agents.

“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,” said Rep. James Comer of Kentucky who’s led the committee investigating whether Democratic leaders are shielding undocumented immigrants from deportation and carrying out sanctuary policies.

Walz didn’t apologize for the comment, saying agents weren’t giving people due process and “the Constitution is not an inconvenience.”

His Capitol Hill appearance was the first time Walz faced questions from Republicans since his run for vice president. Democratic governors Kathy Hochul of New York and JB Pritzker of Illinois testified alongside him.

Democrats on the committee defended Walz and the other governors, calling the hearing a political “circus” and a waste of time. Others defended Walz’s remarks about ICE agents.

“They want to act offended because someone has the courage to say: ‘If it walks like a duck, if it talks like a duck, maybe it’s a duck,’” said New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I want to thank you for not wavering to their bullying.”

Republicans often talked over Walz, going off topic to get their points across and preventing him from responding. Their questions ranged from Minnesota’s immigration policies to his response to the 2020 Minneapolis riots and whether he asked Vice President Kamala Harris about former President Joe Biden’s “cognitive decline.”

They also took swipes at Walz’s vice presidential bid.

“I can see why the American people on Nov. 5 made it a very bad night for you and a great night for our future,” said GOP Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas.

“Gov Walz, and boy does that feel nice to say the word governor,” said South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace.

“Did you know the Nazis killed 6 million Jews during the Holocaust? ... Will you apologize for what you said about ICE?” Mace continued.

A defiant Walz told members of the committee that “Minnesota is not a sanctuary state.”

“The Minnesota Legislature has not passed legislation making Minnesota a sanctuary state, and I have not signed any such legislation into law,” Walz said.

“The fact is, Minnesota cooperates with federal immigration authorities in a number of ways. When there is a convicted felon in our prisons, we ask about their immigration status, and we share that information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if they are undocumented,” he said. “That is codified in Minnesota state law.”

Members also pressed him on whether he agrees with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s guidance to law enforcement to ignore immigration detainers from ICE.

Walz tried to explain that all 87 counties in Minnesota follow federal law, but committee members made it difficult for him to make his points.

Minnesota GOP Reps. Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad were slated to attend the hearing as well as Democratic Reps. Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison.

Emmer, the U.S. House Majority Whip, was able to ask Walz one of the first questions. Emmer cited a number of policies Walz has overseen to claim that the governor has “failed the people of Minnesota.”

“Do you agree with the attorney general’s guidance?” Emmer also asked repeatedly, cutting Walz off as he tried to respond.

Emmer brought up a past social media post from Walz, in which the governor said: “I strongly support immigrant communities. I support policies that keep law.”

Minneapolis and St. Paul have policies that shield undocumented people from deportation and have been known to not cooperate with ICE requests.

The hearing comes as protests against President Donald Trump’s deportation policies have spread across the country. The president recently sent the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles after demonstrations sparked by ICE raids.

The Department of Homeland Security also recently put Minneapolis and St. Paul and more than a dozen other local jurisdictions across the state on a sanctuary watch list, which could lead to funding cuts to the communities. Some sheriffs and local leaders in Minnesota were baffled to find their communities on the list, saying they had no idea why they were included.

“It feels very much like a political exercise and that’s really disappointing,” Craig said on the sidelines of the hearing.