A trio of high-profile Democratic governors is set to take center stage on Capitol Hill in what is likely to be a contentious hearing on sanctuary states on Thursday.
Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are expected to grill Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York and JB Pritzker of Illinois over their states’ status as sanctuaries for migrants.
The hearing, scheduled more than a month ago, comes amid unrest in California over President Trump’s immigration policies.
However, Thursday’s hearing will also present a test for the governors, as Pritzker and Walz have been floated as potential 2028 presidential contenders and Hochul faces reelection in 2026.
“It’s a great opportunity if you’re a Republican who gets to have further discussions about illegal immigration in the country and Democrat elected officials who are promoting what we are seeing on the streets in LA and the confrontations with ICE officials,” said Jesse Hunt, a Republican strategist and former communications director at the Republican Governors Association.
“If you’re one of those three Democrats who all have aspirations for higher office, it also provides you with an opportunity to generate news on an issue that everyone is discussing at this present moment,” he added.
Each of those three governors will walk into the hearing with different political dynamics at play.
While Walz has had to contend with being on the Democratic ticket that lost to Trump in November, the governor has not shied away from taking opportunities to lash out against the president. Walz referred to federal law enforcement agents carrying out Trump’s immigration crackdown as the “modern-day Gestapo” during a commencement address last month at the University of Minnesota.
There are cities within Minnesota that call themselves sanctuary cities, but the state itself has not declared itself to be a sanctuary state, meaning it does not limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“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,” Walz’s team said in a statement ahead of the hearing.
Pritzker has also not shied away from lashing out against Trump. In April, the governor made headlines when he called for mass protests against the administration, saying, “Republicans cannot know a moment of peace.” Those comments could give Republicans fodder to go on offense against the Illinois governor, but unlike Walz, Pritzker does not have the baggage of having lost to Trump.
Pritzker’s spokesperson, Matt Hill, noted that the governor will defend the Illinois Trust Act, which does not permit state, county or local law enforcement agencies to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on civil immigration enforcement activities but allows cooperation when a criminal warrant or court order is involved.
“Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, Governor Pritzker will share facts about how this bipartisan public safety law is fully compliant with federal law and ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well,” Hill said in a statement.
Hochul is in the midst of a potentially tough reelection bid in a blue state where Republicans have slowly made inroads. A Siena College poll released last month showed 55 percent of New York voters said they want “someone else” in next year’s gubernatorial race, while 36 percent said they prefer Hochul, marking a shift of negative 10 points since the same poll last month.
Hochul has notably gone head-to-head with Trump over congestion pricing in New York City earlier this year. At the same time, Hochul has also seen some agreement with the administration, including on an offshore wind project in the state.
But Republicans will likely link the issues of crime and immigration, a strategy that has helped them in New York and elsewhere in recent elections.
“These crises have become one animal in the minds of voters,” said Jon Reinish, a New York Democratic strategist. “Gov. Hochul is going to want to be very representative of her state, but she’s also facing down an election in 2026, and her experience in the previous one will likely be very top of mind.”
“She came within mid-single digits of losing to a conservative, Trump-aligned Republican because she and by extension the Democratic ticket, were tarred with New York City’s public safety crisis,” he said.
With Republicans firmly in control in Washington, Democratic governors have worked to hold the line against Trump in the states as the president seeks to push through his agenda. That dynamic came to a head in the past week, when the Trump administration deployed the California National Guard and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to the demonstrations. The administration’s move resulted in a standoff with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has maintained that Trump does not have the authority to deploy troops.
Democratic governors pledged to stand with Newsom in a joint statement earlier this week, calling Trump’s National Guard move “alarming.”
In turn, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) accused the Democratic governors of “siding with chaos and lawlessness in the streets.”
“Their failed policies will be on full display and the American people will see that Democrat governors have chosen the side of those who broke our nation’s laws over protecting citizens,” said Kollin Crompton, rapid response director at the RGA.
Ahead of the hearing, the Democratic Governors Association sought to tie Republicans to the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol.
“If Republicans in Congress were actually serious about tackling public safety, they could start with Donald Trump, who’s defying court orders, infringing on due process, and pardoning convicted felons who attacked cops on January 6 – all while the cost of living continues to go up for Americans,” the group said Wednesday in a statement.
Democrats argue there is an irony with House Republicans calling three governors away from their states for hours of testimony on Capitol Hill amid the potential for more protests to pop up across the country.
Additionally, Democrats are painting Thursday’s hearing as a distraction from Trump’s legislative agenda that congressional Republicans have struggled to pass.
“What the Republicans in Congress are doing is putting on a complete sham stunt to try to distract the American people from their votes and plan to cut Medicaid, cut SNAP, and give handouts to the ultra wealthy,” said one national Democratic operative. “They’re going to put on a circus and drag away governors who are actually serious about keeping people safe.”
