Gov. Kathy Hochul, other Dem state leaders will be hauled to DC, face congressional grilling over ‘reckless’ pro-migrant sanctuary policies

WASHINGTON — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are being called to DC adjacent period to look a legislature grilling complete their states’ pro-migrant policies.

The 3 Democratic “sanctuary” authorities leaders will person to reply questions June 12 astir really their administrations reduced aliases banned practice pinch national migration authorities nether erstwhile President Joe Biden.

Republicans reason specified policies, which person continued nether President Trump, fueled forbidden migration into nan state and thwarted deportations of non-citizens by nan feds.

“Sanctuary policies only supply sanctuaries for criminal forbidden aliens,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who invited nan wide governors to Capitol Hill for nan hearing.

“Former President Biden created nan worst separator situation successful US history and allowed criminal forbidden aliens to flood our communities,” he said.

“The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal forbidden aliens from our federation but reckless sanctuary states for illustration Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct national migration enforcement.”

Republicans person often lashed retired astatine bluish authorities leaders and metropolis officials for enabling horrific crimes — specified arsenic nan murder of Laken Riley — by failing to coordinate connected migration enforcement pinch nan feds and different lax migration policies.

The first rule that Trump signed aft returning to nan White House was named for nan slain Georgia nursing student — and opened localities to lawsuits should they neglect to deport migrants charged pinch theft, battle aliases different superior crimes causing bodily wounded aliases death.

Riley’s convicted slayer Jose Ibarra — an forbidden migrant from Venezuela and suspected personnel of nan convulsive Tren de Aragua pack — had been arrested for shoplifting conscionable months earlier her gruesome execution connected nan University of Georgia campus. He has since been sentenced to life successful situation for her slaying.

The Oversight proceeding announcement follows a akin sheet successful March connected sanctuary policies pinch New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.

It besides follows an executive bid by Trump calling connected Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to nutrient a database of cities and states that “obstruct nan enforcement of national migration laws.”

If sanctuary jurisdictions don’t make changes, “the Attorney General and nan Secretary of Homeland Security shall prosecute each basal ineligible remedies and enforcement measures to extremity these violations and bring specified jurisdictions into compliance pinch nan laws of nan United States,” according to nan order.

In March, Bondi announced that nan Justice Department was suing New York state complete its alleged “Green Light Law” allowing non-citizens get driver’s licenses and barring inquiries into their migration status — unless ordered to do truthful by a judge.

Those who get a licence are besides tipped disconnected if national migration authorities activity entree to it.

Illinois and Minnesota person likewise battled against nan Trump admin’s migration policies, pinch Pritzker and Walz attacking nan move to deport migrants illegally coming successful nan country.

“The president has besides chosen, and I accent this, chosen, to tear up nan values that erstwhile made America nan sparkling ray of nan world,” Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ moving mate successful nan 2024 predetermination against Trump, declared successful a reside to nan Minnesota legislature past month.

“In this onshore of nan free and location of nan brave, we person assemblage students being swept up, shoved into unmarked vans, and fathers being tossed into Salvadorian gulags without a hint of owed process,” Walz said successful his State of nan State address.

“I want to beryllium existent clear astir this. If you opportunity you emotion freedom, but you don’t judge state is for everybody, past nan point you emotion isn’t freedom, it’s privilege.”

Hochul had antecedently promised a “list” of crimes that would person eased practice for Trump’s wide deportations cognition to prime up migrant offenders — but it was ne'er delivered.

Avi Small, her property secretary, said successful a connection aft nan DOJ suit that nan politician “has been clear from time one: she supports deporting convulsive criminals who break our laws, believes that law-abiding families should not beryllium targets, and will coordinate pinch national authorities who person a judicial warrant.”

Federal costs were first stiff by Bondi successful February for a 60-day reappraisal of each “sanctuary jurisdictions” — including New York, which was slated for astir $8 cardinal successful backing to metropolis agencies successful fiscal twelvemonth 2025, municipal data show.

Roughly 139,000 forbidden immigrants were deported successful Trump’s first 100 days, separator czar Tom Homan announced past week, while noting that migrant arrests connected nan US-Mexico separator had plummeted to astir 11,000 successful March, nan lowest fig connected record.

“Governor Hochul has voluntarily agreed to look earlier nan committee and will reiterate what she’s said dozens of times: New York cooperates pinch national migration officials to deport convulsive criminals, but perfectly does not support sadistic actions that tear families isolated aliases rip children distant from their parents,” Small said successful a connection Tuesday.

Reps for Walz and Pritzker didn’t return requests for comment.