House Oversight Chair James Comer wants Democratic Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York to testify before his committee about their states’ immigration policies.
The Kentucky Republican invited the three governors to appear at a May 15 hearing on so-called sanctuary states, which limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The letters follow the high-profile hearing last month with the Democratic mayors of Boston, New York, Denver and Chicago, at which Republican lawmakers pressed the officials on their cities’ immigration policies.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions and their obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities,” Comer wrote in letters to the governors. “This threatens Americans’ safety.”
Comer, who has been mulling a 2027 bid for Kentucky governor, has made scrutiny of Democrats’ immigration policies a focus of his Oversight post this Congress. In selecting Hochul, Pritzker and Walz — the former vice presidential nominee — Comer is recruiting a host of high-profile Democrats for what could potentially be a closely watched hearing.
Pritzker’s name has been floated for a 2028 presidential bid, and Hochul could face a primary battle during her reelection campaign next year, including, potentially, from her lieutenant governor.
Comer is also requesting a trove of documents from the governors on their states’ immigration practices as part of a broader investigation into sanctuary jurisdictions.
Hochul has already signaled she is willing to testify: “We just received notification of their interest in my opinion on state laws, which I’m happy to share with them,” she told reporters at an unrelated event Thursday. “I told people like Tom Homan that I will continue doing what our practice has been from beginning, which is to cooperate with ICE when they have a warrant or they have evidence that there’s a person who’s committed a serious crime.”
Alex Gough, a spokesperson for Pritzker, said in a statement that the governor’s office was reviewing the request for documents, and Pritzker was considering whether he would testify. “Let’s call this what this is: another partisan dog and pony show,” Gough said.
“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,” Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, said in a statement.
Shia Kapos contributed to this report.
