Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday is testifying in front of a GOP-led House oversight committee defending what the panel calls Minnesota's "sanctuary policies."

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, spearheaded by Kentucky Rep. James Comer, is investigating the "policies of sanctuary jurisdictions and their impact on public safety and federal immigration enforcement."

Walz is joined by two other Democratic governors: Kathy Hochul of New York and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois. 

According to a spokesperson, Walz says he 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."

"Now we have a broken immigration system in this country. I think everyone in this room agrees with that, but nothing Minnesota has done to serve its own people stands in the way of the federal government managing border security and policies," Walz said in his opening statement. "While you've convened this hearing to explore the issue of so-called 'sanctuary states,' Minnesota isn't even a sanctuary state. The Minnesota legislature has passed no such law making Minnesota a sanctuary state and I have signed no such law." 

How to watch

• What: Gov. Tim Walz testifies on "sanctuary jurisdictions"
• When: 9 a.m. on June 12, 2025
• How to watch: You can watch testimony in the live player above.

Emmer: Walz has "failed the people of Minnesota"

GOP Rep. Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, grilled Walz on the state's immigration policy and the so-called "sanctuary state agenda." 

"One of the reasons you're here testifying before us today is because you refuse to cooperate with ICE," Emmer said. "Your attorney general is directing law enforcement to ignore ICE immigration detainers — do you agree with the attorney general's guidance?"

"My job as the governor of Minnesota is to make Minnesota the best state in the nation," Walz said, before Emmer cut him off.

Emmer then repeated the question, asking "do you agree with the attorney general's guidance?" to which Walz responded that "Minnesota follows all laws."

"You are a sanctuary state but you support policies that prevent ICE from doing their job, isn't that right?" Emmer went on to say.

"That is incorrect, congressman, we follow the same laws. When you were in the Minnesota House, the law has not changed sir," and though Walz tried to continue, Emmer cut him off again.

Emmer then moved on to criticize a tweet Walz posted in 2018, that said that he supports "policies that keep law enforcement from enforcing federal laws" and grilled him on a comment Walz made during the University of Minnesota's commencement speech referring to ICE agents as "modern-day gestapo."

Walz then asked which question Emmer would like him to answer, before Emmer blew past and continued to criticize him.

"Your sanctuary state agenda has been defined by your utter failure. You have failed to enforce the rule of law. You have failed to uphold our national sovereignty. And most importantly, you have failed the people of Minnesota," Emmer said.

President Trump is working to crack down on jurisdictions that do not comply with his immigration agenda. In April, he signed an executive order instructing his attorney general to identify sanctuary cities, then find "grants and contracts" for potential "suspension or termination."

A city ordinance in Minneapolis bars police and public officials from enforcing federal immigration laws. St. Paul also has a policy limiting the use of city resources to detect or apprehend undocumented immigrants.

In March, the Democratic mayors of the "sanctuary cities" of New York, Denver, Chicago and Boston also testified in front of the oversight committee, fielding questions from Republicans about their cities and policies regarding immigration.

The term "sanctuary city" is legally murky, but generally refers to laws that dictate that a jurisdiction may not comply to some extent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Walz's testimony in front of the panel comes against the backdrop of immigration protests across the country. After a series of raids in Los Angeles spurred demonstrations, Mr. Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to the country's second-largest city. California has since sued the Trump administration, calling the move an "unprecedented power grab" by putting National Guard troops under federal control without the permission of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Trump administration has cited Walz's response to the protests that broke out following George Floyd's murder in 2020 to justify the move to federalize troops in California.

Last week in Minneapolis, protestors clashed with federal agents who were serving a drug trafficking warrant on Lake Street. The city police chief called the raid, which happened at the heart of one of Minnesota's immigrant communities, "tone-deaf." Afterword, the city's police department issued a memo to its staff reminding officers not to collaborate with federal immigration agents.

• Immigration
• Tim Walz