Walz pressed on ‘sanctuary state agenda,’ refuses to apologize for ‘Gestapo’ comment in heated House hearing

Posted on by Constitutional Nobody

Gov. Tim Walz took center stage Thursday at a fiery congressional hearing on sanctuary state policies, where he—along with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker—was repeatedly grilled by Republican lawmakers over his administration’s policies and his inflammatory rhetoric comparing immigration agents to Nazis.

The hearing, held by the House Oversight Committee, featured “sanctuary state” governors who were all called to testify about policies that Republicans say shield criminal illegal immigrants from deportation and undermine the rule of law.

Comer slams Walz for ICE-Gestapo comparison

Committee Chair James Comer wasted no time confronting Walz for his speech at the University of Minnesota Law School, where the governor likened ICE agents to Nazi secret police.

“Gov. Walz stood at a commencement podium and smeared ICE agents as ‘modern day Gestapo,’ comparing brave law enforcement officers … to Nazi thugs. I can only hope this reckless remark was not meant to incite violence. Assaults on ICE officers are already up 400%,” Comer said in an opening statement.

The explosive “Gestapo” comparison quickly became a focal point that never went away. Throughout the hearing, Republican lawmakers hammered Walz over the remark, giving him multiple chances to walk it back. He never did.

“What I said, Congressman—and I have a long history of supporting law enforcement—I said President Trump was using them as his modern day Gestapo,” Walz told Rep. Byron Donalds, who pressed him directly on whether he would recant.

Minnesota policies under fire

Republicans drilled into Minnesota’s pattern of sanctuary-style governance, even as Walz insisted the state is not formally a “sanctuary state.”

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Under Walz, Minnesota has granted driver’s licenses, free college tuition, and publicly funded health care to illegal immigrants. Attorney General Keith Ellison has directed law enforcement agencies not to honor ICE detainers.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer took direct aim at Walz over these policies, stating: “You support policies that prevent ICE from doing their job … If you think that’s not a sanctuary state, you shouldn’t be governor.”

Walz was also pressed on whether he agrees with Ellison’s legal guidance, but he repeatedly declined to give a straight answer.

“I’m not the attorney general of Minnesota,” Walz stated.

ICE arrest of child porn convict  

Walz drew more fire after a congressman cited a case in Saint Paul where ICE arrested an illegal alien who had been convicted of possessing child pornography on a work computer. The lawmaker asked if Walz still stood by his “Gestapo” statement in light of that arrest.

“ICE agents need to do a job [and] they need to do it within the realm of due process … wearing masks and on no notice of who they are … and picking people up off the streets without that due process… I stand that that is wrong and on a road towards authoritarianism. I certainly stand by that,” Walz responded.

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Comer presses Walz on Biden border failures

Chairman Comer questioned whether Walz believed the previous administration had secured the border effectively.

“Do you think Biden-Harris did a good job of securing the border?” Comer asked.

“I think the border has been broken for a very long time through many administrations. It’s one of the reasons why Vice President Harris was advocating so strongly for the bipartisan bill,” Walz said.

“Did she mention her role as the border czar when you all were out campaigning?” Comer followed up.

“Not that I can recall, other than that we talked about the need to pass the bipartisan border legislation that would have done many of the things that, as a governor, I know would have made our jobs easier,” Walz replied.

“But President Trump secured the border without any legislation,” Comer replied.

2020 riots resurface 

In one of the more heated exchanges of the day, a congressman brought up Walz’s response to the 2020 riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.

“There were summer protests—you referred to them as peaceful demonstrations. In hindsight, would you still stand by that? Were they mostly peaceful?” the lawmaker asked.

“Congressman, after the murder of George Floyd on the streets, thousands gathered in the streets,” Walz began, before being interrupted.

“Governor, were they mostly peaceful protests?”

“The vast majority certainly. Those that weren’t—” Walz started again, before being cut off.

“Why would you have to call the National Guard for mostly peaceful protests?”

“They weren’t all peaceful protests,” Walz finally conceded.

When asked about the financial toll, Walz admitted he didn’t have a number. But the congressman was ready with one.

“According to the insurance industry … between $1 and $2 billion. Your own state Senate put the price at $500 million. If that’s a peaceful protest in Minnesota, I shudder to think what a violent one would cost.”

On ICE cooperation

The governor was also asked directly whether Minnesota counties cooperate with federal immigration detainers when illegal immigrants are already in custody.

“We follow federal law and all 87 counties and all the jurisdictions,” Walz said. “Some of them do honor detainers … some do and some don’t, that’s correct.”

At one point, border czar Tom Homan’s remarks were brought up in which he suggested that governors who interfere with immigration enforcement should be arrested. Walz bristled at the notion.

“I didn’t realize how much animosity there is here. We have a responsibility to the American public to work together and I think threatening arrests on elected officials … doesn’t help any of us,” Walz said.

Still standing firm

In the face of criticism from multiple lawmakers, Walz continued to defend his administration’s stance.

“If they’re illegally here and ICE comes to get them, if they have received due process, it’s ICE’s job to come get them. That’s what I’ve been saying all day,” he told Rep. Virginia Foxx.

Foxx responded pointedly: “If they’re here illegally, they’ve broken the law already.”

Even as Republicans called out his remarks as inflammatory and irresponsible, Walz reiterated Minnesota’s approach to immigration policy.

“In Minnesota we have a long tradition of welcoming,” he said.

 

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