Sanctuary State Governors Double Down On Illegal Immigration In Tense Capitol Hearing

The conflict surrounding the Trump Administration’s deportation of illegal aliens is driven by a complex web of NGOs and astroturf activist groups, but Democrat politicians continue to play a considerable role in fomenting civil unrest.  State leaders were a key element of the BLM riots in 2020, providing a governmental green light for the mobs by exempting them from covid mandates.  City officials ensured that rioters and looters were released without charges, cycling them back out onto the streets to wreak havoc day after day.  Other Democrat leaders hobbled local law enforcement and prevented them from intervening in the riots.

The pattern seems to be repeating, with Democrats doubling down on their defense of illegal immigration and interfering in ICE operations.  The law, once again, is only important to progressives when it works in their favor.  When it doesn’t, they ignore it.

This week multiple Democrat governors defended their sanctuary state policies in a hearing on illegal immigration on Capitol Hill.  Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul testified at the hearing, asserting that the immigration issue was being overblown by the Trump Administration and diminishing concerns over violent migrant crimes. 

Tim Walz argued that Trump was using the DHS as his personal “gestapo” and Kathy Hochul called deportations an “assault on American values”.

Keep in mind that both Walz and Hochul implemented some of the most draconian covid restrictions in the country during the pandemic hysteria, oppressing citizens and rendering their supposed concerns over freedom and “American values” irrelevant.  

The three governors defended themselves, claiming that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, not a state one, and suggested that Republicans on the panel were creating a political spectacle to impress Trump.  House Democrats led the criticism of Trump directly, with some calling him a “gangster” or a “dictator” and others lambasting his decision to deploy National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to maintain control of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. 

“No one here wants to hear these horrific stories. But we have a job to do on limited resources,” Walz said in reference to migrant crimes. He added that it was a mistake for Republicans to say “that not doing ICE’s job means we’re not cooperating.” 

“Nothing we do precludes them from doing their job,” Walz said. “We have the responsibility of the American public to work together, and I think threatening arrests on elected officials … doesn’t help any of us.”

Democrats have continued to deny that the protests are violent, despite an endless supply of video evidence on social media showing activists looting businesses, burning cars, attacking police and assaulting any counter-protesters that dare to come close to them.  After four years of the Biden Administration, leftist protesters are now under the impression that they can do whatever they please without repercussions. 

The sanctuary efforts of blue states go well beyond the notion of refusing to aid the federal government in deportations.  Democrat officials have been caught trying to hide illegal immigrants from DHS.  They have attempted to warn migrants when ICE agents are operating in the vicinity.  They have even openly encouraged activists and migrants to obstruct or fight ICE agents when they are trying to carry out their duties. 

Events in Los Angeles this week are the most egregious example so far, with California Governor Gavin Newsom claiming that Trump was “manufacturing a crisis” in LA by trying to enforce immigration laws, but petty interference has been ongoing for many years.  

The bottom line is this:  The majority of voters backed Donald Trump’s campaign based in large part on his deportation promises.  Not just the deportation of violent criminals, but the deportation of all illegal aliens in the US.  The law is the law yet Democrat leaders continue to obstruct, which means they are obstructing the will of the voters, not the will of the Trump Administration.