3 days ago
LIVE: Gov. Walz to face grilling at Congressional hearing on sanctuary states
The Brief
Minnesota Gov. Walz has been called to testify Thursday morning at a hearing on sanctuary states.
Walz will testify alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
While several large Minnesota counties and cities have sanctuary polices, Minnesota isn't considered a sanctuary state.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been called to testify as part of a Congressional hearing on sanctuary states on Thursday.
What we know
Gov. Walz is one of three Democratic governors set to testify on Thursday as part of a House committee on Overnight and Government Reform hearing on sanctuary states.
The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT. FOX 9 will stream the full hearing in the player above.
The backstory
It's worth noting that while major cities, like Minneapolis and St. Paul, have sanctuary policies protecting undocumented immigrants. Minnesota doesn't have sanctuary policies in place.
READ MORE: Minneapolis PD memo tells officers not to assist with immigration enforcement
In recent years, advocates have pushed for the North STAR Act that would prevent state authorities from working with federal immigration enforcement. But, the bill has failed to make it through the legislature.
However, in May, Homeland Security did identify 20 Minnesota counties and cities as "sanctuary jurisdictions."
In April, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky called on Walz to appear at the House hearing, as part of the House's review of sanctuary policies and their impact on public safety.
Local perspective
Last month, the Trump administration criticized comments by Gov. Walz, which compared ICE to the Gestapo, the Nazi police force. A Walz spokesperson responded, pointing out President Trump made similar comparisons just a year earlier, comparing the Biden administration to the Gestapo.
Just last week, a criminal investigation involving ICE agents sparked controversy in Minneapolis. As a federal task force raided a Mexican restaurant at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, a crowd of protesters gathered to thwart what they thought was an ICE raid. The protests ended with activists clashing with law enforcement. This week, FOX 9 learned that the investigation on Lake Street was linked to the discovery of 900 pounds of meth in Burnsville.
