Overview

• Testifying before Rep. James Comer’s House Oversight Committee, the governors emphasized that their sanctuary policies focus on cooperating with federal arrests of convicted criminals under judge-signed warrants.
• They insisted that enforcing civil immigration violations, such as visa overstays, exceeds state and local authority and undermines community trust in law enforcement.
• Each governor criticized President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to California as an excessive response that heightened unrest during protests.
• Officials detailed their states’ management of migrant arrivals through temporary shelters, permanent housing programs and employment support under federal work-authorization initiatives.
• They warned that without a federal overhaul of immigration laws, undocumented residents will face ongoing family separations and lack a clear path to citizenship.