New York Gov. Kathy Hochul might be becoming a member of two different Democratic governors in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to testify earlier than a Congressional committee on their states’ immigration insurance policies.
The Home Committee on Oversight and Authorities Reform posted a video forward of the listening to highlighting crimes allegedly dedicated by immigrants within the U.S. illegally and pledging that “sanctuary state governors will reply to the American folks.”
The listening to is to incorporate testimony from Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Hochul.
There’s no authorized definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, however the time period typically refers to governments with insurance policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Courts beforehand have upheld the legality of such legal guidelines.
Romney Smith reporting on Hochul to testify earlier than Congress on sanctuary insurance policies.
However Trump’s administration has sued Colorado, Illinois, New York and a number of other cities — together with Chicago and Rochester, New York — asserting their insurance policies violate the U.S. Structure or federal regulation.
Illinois, Minnesota and New York additionally had been amongst 14 states and tons of of cities and counties lately listed by the Division of Homeland Safety as “sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law.” The listing later was faraway from the division’s web site after criticism that it errantly included some native governments that assist Trump’s immigration insurance policies.
Forward of the testimony, Hochul’s workplace put out a memo to put out the governor’s immigration stance.
“During this hearing, you can expect to hear Governor Hochul explain how she’s keeping New Yorkers safe,” Hochul’s workplace mentioned in an announcement. “Her position is clear: she supports strong, secure borders and comprehensive immigration reform. And throughout her time as governor, she has proven we can welcome individuals who wish to work and contribute to New York, while holding anyone who threatens public safety accountable. Unfortunately, based on certain Members’ previous statements to the media, it seems very likely that this hearing will be derailed by wild accusations, twisted characterizations and flat-out falsehoods.”
The Home Oversight Committee has lengthy been a partisan battleground, and in current months it has turned its focus to immigration coverage. Thursday’s listening to follows an analogous one in March wherein the Republican-led committee questioned the Democratic mayors of Chicago, Boston, Denver and New York about sanctuary insurance policies.
Closely Democratic Chicago has been a sanctuary metropolis for many years. In 2017, then-Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed laws creating statewide protections for immigrants.
The Illinois Belief Act prohibits police from looking, arresting or detaining folks solely due to their immigration standing. However it permits native authorities to carry folks for federal immigration authorities if there’s a sound prison warrant.
Pritzker, who succeeded Rauner in 2019, mentioned in remarks ready for the Home committee that violent criminals “have no place on our streets, and if they are undocumented, I want them out of Illinois and out of our country.”
“But we will not divert our limited resources and officers to do the job of the federal government when it is not in the best interest of our state, our local communities, or the safety of our residents,” he mentioned.
Pritzker has been amongst Trump’s most outspoken opponents and is taken into account a possible 2028 presidential candidate. He mentioned Illinois has offered shelter and companies to greater than 50,000 immigrants who had been despatched there from different states.
A Division of Justice lawsuit towards New York challenges a 2019 regulation that permits immigrants illegally within the U.S. to obtain New York driver’s licenses and shields driver’s license knowledge from federal immigration authorities. That constructed upon a 2017 government order by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo that prohibited New York officers from inquiring about or disclosing an individual’s immigration standing to federal authorities, except required by regulation.
Hochul’s workplace mentioned regulation enforcement officers nonetheless can cooperate with federal immigration authorities when persons are convicted of or underneath investigation for crimes. Since Hochul took workplace in 2021, her workplace mentioned, the state has transferred greater than 1,300 incarcerated noncitizens to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the completion of their state sentences.
Minnesota doesn’t have a statewide sanctuary regulation defending immigrants within the U.S. illegally, although Minneapolis and St. Paul each limit the extent to which police and metropolis workers can cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Some legal guidelines signed by Walz have secured advantages for folks no matter immigration standing. However at the least a type of is getting rolled again. The Minnesota Legislature, assembly in a particular session, handed laws Monday to repeal a 2023 regulation that allowed adults within the U.S. illegally to be lined underneath a state-run well being care program for the working poor. Walz insisted on sustaining eligibility for kids who aren’t within the nation legally.
