Democratic governor Walz draws fire over ‘Gestapo’ crack in House hearing over ‘sanctuary states’

Hearing part of Republican effort to use voters’ worries about immigration and crime for their political benefit

Jim Jordan and Kathy Hochul get into heated back and forth during immigration hearing

Three Democratic governors testified 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.

Walz drew fire from a number of Republicans on the panel for comparing ICE to President Donald Trump’s “modern-day Gestapo.”

“You realize how disgusting a phrase that is, considering the history of Nazi Germany? Would you like to recant that statement?” said GOP Rep. Byron Donalds.

“What I said, Congressman, and I have a long history of supporting law enforcement, I said President Trump was using them as his modern day Gestapo — not identifying who you are, coming up in unmarked bands, taking people away,” Walz responded.

The protests against workplace immigration raids escalated after Trump called in the National Guard and the Marines.

House Republicans worked to put down Democrats over immigration policies that the GOP argues protect criminals.

[12 June 2025 14:03 · Gustaf Kilander]

Democratic governors will defend immigration policies before Republican-led House panel

Joey Cappelletti and David A. Lieb write:

As President Donald Trump spars with California's governor over immigration enforcement, Republicans in Congress are calling other Democratic governors to the Capitol on Thursday to question them over policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform posted a video ahead of the hearing highlighting crimes allegedly committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally and pledging that “sanctuary state governors will answer to the American people."

The hearing is to include testimony from Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York.

[12 June 2025 14:22 · Gustaf Kilander]

On campaign trail, Trump claimed Democrats urged 'migrant crime wave'

During his campaign last year, Trump claimed that undocumented immigrants are violent and dangerous, arguing that Democrats were behind a “migrant crime wave,” going against the picture painted by official statistics.

Trump issued executive orders earlier this year, taking aim at what’s called sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that restrict their collaboration with federal immigration enforcement. Some have explicit polices protecting undocumented immigrants.

One of the orders issued by the president instructs that federal funds not be granted to cities and counties that don’t work for immigration enforcement.

[12 June 2025 14:40 · Gustaf Kilander]

Why anti-ICE protests are spreading across the US

James Liddell, Mike Bedigan, and Rebecca Whittaker write:

Thousands of Angelenos experienced their second evening of curfew on Wednesday as Mayor Karen Bass continued her crackdown on looters and vandals in downtown Los Angeles.

More demonstrations were scheduled for Thursday, almost a week after a string of ICE raids last Friday sparked a wave of unrest in LA. By Saturday morning, President Donald Trump caused fresh outrage after deploying the National Guard before eventually mobilizing the U.S. Marines days later.

[12 June 2025 15:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Congressional Republicans target areas choosing not to work with federal immigration enforcement

Congressional Republicans have pushed bills targeting states and localities choosing not to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Oversight panel chair Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, has said that he would use the power of the panel to review the effects of sanctuary legislation.

The panel is one of the most confrontational on the Hill, with at times tense moments from its hearings making the rounds on social media.

[12 June 2025 15:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Live: Republicans grill Democrat governors Hochul, Walz and Pritzker on immigration policy

[12 June 2025 15:09 · Gustaf Kilander]

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.”

[12 June 2025 15:14 · Gustaf Kilander]

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.”

[12 June 2025 15:17 · Gustaf Kilander]

'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.”

[12 June 2025 15:25 · Gustaf Kilander]

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.

[12 June 2025 15:31 · Gustaf Kilander]

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.