Walz defends state law at GOP-led House Oversight hearing on immigration policies

The hearing adjourned at 5 p.m. This is the end of live updates.

4:55 p.m. - Minnesota Republicans got their chance to question Gov. Tim Walz too. Rep. Michelle Fischbach took a swipe at his recent town halls in Republican districts.

“Thank you for being here, because I know you’ve been very, very busy running around the country, giving speeches and having town halls,” Fischbach quipped.

Fischbach then proceeded to clarify whether Walz supported a provision passed by the Legislature to take health care away from undocumented people in the negotiating process.

“I’m going to sign the bill,” Walz said, but Fischbach kept trying to clarify if he was supportive of the policy from the very beginning. The exchange between the two Minnesotans got heated.

Rep. Pete Stauber and Walz had one of the most dramatic and explosive exchanges of the day.

Stauber had a staffer hold a photo behind him of the Third Police Precinct in Minneapolis burning while he spoke. “It’s a precinct burning down because of your decision!” Stauber said.

“You’ve been asked three, four times if you would rescind that and you won’t,” Stauber said, trying to get Walz to apologize for saying ICE agents were “gestapo.” “Will you rescind it? This is like the fifth time, yes or no?”

He also questioned Walz’s military experience, a question that he was pressed on on the campaign trail.

“It’s obvious that he didn’t want to answer any questions” Fischbach said as she left the hearing when asked what she thought about Walz’s performance during the hearing. Stauber declined to comment after the hearing.

Walz called Stauber’s fiery exchange with him “a bit of theatrics.” Overall, Walz said he hope members of the committee heard them.

“These horrific situations that happen with people, our point is, is ICE needs to do their job, and we need to do our job, and that’s where the disconnect lies,” Walz said. “Just because we’re not doing ICE’s job doesn’t mean we’re not cooperating. We’re also patrolling the streets. We’re patrolling everything that we need to do.”

4:20 p.m. - Minnesota Democrats Reps. Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig gave Walz the opportunity to tell his side following hours of questioning from Republicans.

“I think all of us here would agree that violent criminals who aren’t citizens shouldn’t be in this country, full stop,” Morrison said. “But that’s not what this hearing is about.”

“This hearing is about intimidation and striking fear in immigrant communities,” she added.

Morrison used her time to see if Walz wanted to clarify anything “that’s been said in this unbelievable committee hearing today.”

“I just don’t understand why we don’t want to work together to be successful? Walz said. “None of us want the criminals on the street, but I certainly want immigrants in Minnesota, who are contributing to our quality of life.”

Craig quipped that if she were a “permanent member [on the committee] I would have a permanent headache.”

Craig talked about how dozens of Minnesota jurisdictions going on the DHS sanctuary watchlist caused a lot of confusion, so much so that she pointed out that the list has now been taken down.

“It created mass confusion in Minnesota for local officials and was opposed by local law enforcement,” Craig said.

Craig said the list included La Sueur County, which she represents, and tried to get information from DHS on why the county was included, but has, so far, received no response.

“Many of those counties that were listed on there would fit the definition of everyone on this side of the aisle,” Walz said of the list.

3:55 p.m. - In response to a question, Gov. Tim Walz was able to articulate what he meant when said ICE agents are the “modern day Gestapo.”

“I regret that law enforcement is not following best practices, showing who they are, not taking people off the street, not giving due process,” Walz responded, after having been cut off from responding to the question for most of the hearing.

2:33 p.m. - The House Oversight Committee recessed to allow members to vote. Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber are expected to speak after the recess.

The Minnesota Star Tribune caught up with Craig, who said the committee was not leading a “serious discussion.”

“It feels very much like a political exercise and that’s really disappointing,” she said. Earlier today, Craig said she met with Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Douglas Loon who she said told her that Minnesota needs more legal immigrants in the state.

“Many of them are very, very concerned that the administration is so indiscriminately removing people, when in fact, I think the expectation was that they would focus on those who were committing crimes, particularly violent crimes in our community.”

Craig said she plans to ask Gov. Tim Walz about “why it’s so important that we have legal immigration in our country and the contributions that immigrants in Minnesota have made to our economy and our culture and our state,” she said.

1:59 p.m. - South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace demanded that Gov. Tim Walz apologize for comments about Trump’s ICE as a “modern day Gestapo.”

“Did you know the Nazis killed six million Jews during the Holocaust?” Mace asked, before launching into a series of other questions, from ranking Kamala Harris’ job as the border czar to “what is a woman?

“I’m not sure I understand the question…what do you want me to say?” Walz responded to the question about women.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Republicans, who she said “have cheered on an individual who issued a Nazi salute from behind the presidential seal of the United States of America.”

“Now 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,’” Ocasio-Cortez said, addressing Walz. “I want to thank you for not wavering to their bullying.”

1:30 p.m. - In response to a question about civility, Gov. Tim Walz plugged Minnesota’s narrowly divided Legislature, which just struck a deal on a two-year budget.

“We did it with civility, we did it with an eye to the future, and we did it Republicans and Democrats,” he said.

1:14 p.m. - A number of Democratic members of Congress thanked the three governors for attending the hearing.

“This is a waste of your time, you have been instrumental in fighting back against cruel and illegal Trump administration actions,” said Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona. She asked Gov. Tim Walz what immigrants have contributed to the state.

“There’s no aspect in Minnesota life where they’re not involved,” Walz said, adding: “Minnesota is proud to have an immigrant heritage.”

12:19 p.m. - Returning from a short break, GOP Rep. Pat Fallon had a line of questions about the 2020 riots in Minneapolis, pressing the governor on if they were peaceful and how much Minnesota paid for the damages.

Walz said that the “vast majority” of the protests were peaceful but said some were not and there were protesters who were arrested.

Fallon pressed Walz on whether he would commit to compelling Minnesota to cooperate with all federal detainers.

“Are you going to fund ICE what they don’t pay us on detainers?” Walz responded. Fallon then brought up Walz’s Gestapo remarks and cut Walz off as he tried to respond.

“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,” Fallon said.

11:50 a.m. - After being interrupted for most of the hearing, Gov. Tim Walz finally had the chance to speak to Minnesota policies right before a committee break.

GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx asked Walz “how can we be sure that your state is serious about cooperating with the federal government to enforce our immigration laws?”

“We do it on a daily basis,” Walz replied, however, he pointed out that there was confusion when more than a dozen counties across Minnesota were recently placed on a sanctuary watch list by the federal government.

“Many of those were counties in Minnesota that had gone above and beyond. Their sheriffs said it put them at risk because they were doing that,” Walz added. “They were they were sharing information and doing what they’re supposed to do. It’s a coordination issue.”

11:32 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz was spared from a tough line of questioning from House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Clay Higgins, his former House colleague, who spoke highly of the governor and admitted that it may be hard to get a straight answer in a hearing room setting.

Higgins said he considers Walz a close friend who he believed he could call and get a straight answer from “even now,” suggesting that he may speak to the governor outside of the hearing setting.

The Republican congressman then turned his questions to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who Higgins called “arrogant,” before he proceeded to press them about immigration policies in their states.

11:24 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz was once again grilled, this time by GOP Rep. Andy Biggs, on whether he agrees with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s guidance to law enforcement to ignore immigration detainers imposed by ICE.

Walz tried to explain to Biggs that all 87 counties in Minnesota follow federal law, but Biggs kept pressing him on the same question. “Do you agree with your attorney general,” he asked at least twice again, until Walz told Biggs he’s not the attorney general of Minnesota.

10:59 a.m. - GOP Rep. Byron Donalds called on Gov. Tim Walz to “recant” calling ICE Trump’s “modern day Gestapo.”

“Isn’t it the responsibility of ICE to deport illegal aliens?” Donalds asked.

Walz agreed that it is ICE’s job but said “the Constitution is not an inconvenience. It’s not an either or.”

“Governor, you’re wrong,” Donalds said, cutting the Walz off. “You need to apologize to these agents…do not diminish their work."

10:54 a.m. - The House Oversight Committee hearing has veered off the topic of immigration policies. GOP Rep. Bandon Gill, who has previously called for Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar to be deported, grilled Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on whether he thinks “men should be allowed in women’s restrooms” and if he ever supported “Hamas’ agenda?”

“So, you’re admitting that this is just a political circus,” Pritzker later shot back.

Ahead of the hearing, Omar, who is not attending, said she thought the hearing would be a “circus.”

“I don’t think there’s ever legitimate work that gets done on the Oversight Committee,” she said.

10:33 a.m. - Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the U.S. House Majority Whip, spoke in the committee, citing a number of policies Gov. Tim Walz has overseen in Minnesota and brought up his past remarks to make the case that the governor has: “failed the people of Minnesota.”

Emmer criticized Walz for signing legislation to provide health care and driver’s licenses to “illegal aliens” (Walz is expected to sign legislation to remove health care from undocumented adults) and pressed him on whether he agreed with Attorney General Keith Ellison’s guidance to law enforcement to ignore immigration detainers imposed by ICE.

“Do you agree with the attorney general’s guidance?” Emmer asked.

Walz tried to explain his position but Emmer cut him off. “Do you agree with the attorney general’s policy?” Emmer pressed before cutting Walz off again.

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 enforcement from enforcing federal laws that everyone knows are broken.” The congressman used the post to make his case.

“Which one of your questions do you want me to answer first?” Walz asked Emmer.

Emmer ended his questioning by submitting Walz’s post to the committee for the record.

10:03 a.m. - Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer asked his first question to Gov. Tim Walz, zeroing in on the governor calling ICE a “modern day Gestapo.”

Comer asked Walz if he realized that comments like that “put ICE officers in greater danger,” and he accused fellow Democrats of using Walz’s characterization as “some kind of Democrat talking point.”

Walz replied that “any attack on law enforcement is unacceptable,” before being cut off by Comer.

Comer also went off topic and asked Walz if he ever questioned Kamala Harris about former President Joe Biden’s “cognitive decline.”

“Not that I can recall,” Walz responded. Comer also grilled Walz on whether Harris ever talked about her role as the former border czar in the Biden administration and whether he thought the Biden-Harris administration did enough to secure the southern border.

9:33 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz has delivered his opening remarks to the House Oversight Committee, defending Minnesota’s laws and putting the onus on the federal government to enforce immigration policies.

“It is ridiculous to suggest that Minnesota — a state that is over 1,500 miles away from the Southern border, and a thousand miles from lawmakers in Washington, D.C. who decide and implement border policy — is somehow responsible for a failure of immigration enforcement," Walz told committee members.

It’s a return to Washington for Walz, who served six terms in Congress representing Minnesota’s First District before being elected governor in 2018.

9:22 a.m. - House Oversight Committee Chair GOP Rep. James Comer has started the hearing and brought photos of victims and undocumented people who have been arrested. Comer took a swipe at Walz for referring to ICE agents as Trump’s “modern day Gestapo” during a recent event and said he hopes the governor’s remarks were not “meant to incite violence.”

“It’s hard to figure out which whose side they’re on,” Comer said of the three Democratic governors.

The committee’s Democratic ranking member, Rep. Stephen Lynch, said he thinks ICE “does look like a gestapo operation” as he describes a recent ICE arrest.

9 a.m. - A defiant Gov. Tim Walz will tell members of the House Oversight Committee in testimony shortly that “Minnesota is not a sanctuary state” as they plan to grill him and two other Democratic governors on their states’ policies for working with federal immigration authorities.

“The Minnesota Legislature has not passed legislation making Minnesota a sanctuary state, and I have not signed any such legislation into law,” Walz will say according to a copy of his prepared remarks.

“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. That is codified in Minnesota state law.”

He will also tell them that the state complies with the Department of Homeland Security requests when they are backed by court warrants “and the due process afforded by our Constitution to all people in the United States has been served.”

6 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz will face off with members of the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee on Thursday morning, who plan to grill him and two other Democratic governors on their states’ sanctuary policies.

His Capitol Hill appearance will mark the first time he’s facing tough questions from Republicans since his run for vice president. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are also testifying.

The Oversight Committee is trying to investigate whether Democratic leaders of cities and states are shielding undocumented immigrants from deportation and carrying out sanctuary policies.

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

“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,” the committee’s chair, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, said in a statement before the hearing. “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.”

Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said in a statement that 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.”

Minneapolis and St. Paul both have policies that shield undocumented people from deportation and have been known to not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests.

Authorities recently clashed with protesters following a federal law enforcement raid outside of a Mexican restaurant in Minneapolis, which was one of several that were conducted in the Twin Cities in recent weeks. Authorities say the raids were related to human and drug trafficking and money laundering.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security also 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. Landing on the DHS list baffled some local leaders who did not know why they were included.

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

That hearing lasted for six hours, and Democrats were careful about using the term “sanctuary” as they defended their states’ policies, the Associated Press reported.

The hearing also 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 in an attempt to diffuse demonstrations sparked by ICE raids.

Top Republicans have criticized Walz for his response to the 2020 George Floyd riots in Minneapolis and are using his delay in sending in the Guard to diffuse the riots as a way to justify Trump’s decision to send them early to Los Angeles.

“In 2020, I was a governor of a neighboring state to Tim Walz and watched him let his city burn,” Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Tuesday at the White House. “The President and I have talked about this in the past, and he was not going to let that happen to another city and to another community where a bad governor made a bad decision.”

No Minnesota members of Congress sit on the Oversight Committee, but Republican Rep. Pete Stauber said he received permission to question Walz at the hearing. He declined to preview his questions.

It’s unclear if the three other Minnesota congressional Republicans will attend, but Rep. Tom Emmer, a frequent critic of the governor and the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House, has mentioned the hearing on several occasions, even commissioning a video attacking Walz ahead of it.

“If Tim Walz thinks he will be able to defend his abysmal record before Congress, then he’s even more of a buffoon than I thought,” Emmer told Fox News. “I only have one thing to say to Timmy as he heads to Washington this week: GOOD LUCK.”

Democratic Rep. Angie Craig also plans to attend and question Walz. DFL Rep. Ilhan Omar said the Oversight Committee “is more of a circus.”

“So, I can see it being people trying to get their little clips and not trying to actually solve anything on that committee.”

The Oversight Committee meeting will be streamed live starting at 9 a.m. Central Time.