By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic governors walked a tight line on Thursday, criticizing President Donald Trump's use of the military to respond to protests over his immigration crackdown, while voicing support for deporting immigrants who commit violent crimes.
Governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York appeared before the Republican-controlled House of Representatives Oversight Committee a week into protests in downtown Los Angeles over the Trump administration's aggressive ramping up of arrests of migrants.
The governors were united in opposing Trump's decision to order National Guard troops into Los Angeles to help secure federal buildings -- a move that bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom's authority over the Guard in his state -- saying it fostered chaos and undercut citizens' confidence in local law enforcement.
"It tends to have an inflaming effect on what's going on on the ground just when local law enforcement officials are getting things under control," said Pritzker, who like Newsom is seen as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Newsom has leaned into the political fight with Trump over the protests, accusing him in a Tuesday night video speech of choosing "theatrics over public safety."
Reuters/Ipsos polls show Trump getting more support for his handling of immigration than any other policy area.
The governors testifying on Thursday voiced support for deporting immigrants with criminal records.
"If they are undocumented, we want them out of Illinois and out of our country," Pritzker said.
While the panel's Democratic lawmakers focused on Trump's use of the military and aggressive deportations that have sometimes snared children and U.S. citizens, Republicans quizzed the governors over violent crimes committed by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Republicans have long railed against "sanctuary" policies in some jurisdictions that limit the amount of cooperation between their law enforcement officials with federal immigration agents.
Supporters of such policies say they help gain the trust of immigrants in reporting violent criminals to local authorities. Republicans see them as letting criminals roam free.
Studies by academics and think tanks have shown that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans.
Republican Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio showcased a Mexican national whom he said assaulted a New York resident with a machete. The suspect was later released by the county government where he was held, Jordan said.
"Those descriptions that you have put forth are absolutely chilling and disturbing and reprehensible to all of us," Hochul responded.
She added that Jordan was "conflating what the state of New York does" with that of local jurisdictions and noted that more than 1,300 suspects have been turned over by the state to federal agents under her watch.
"Minnesota is not a sanctuary state," said Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, adding that state officials cooperate with federal immigration authorities. He noted it offers "respect" to cities and counties choosing to give no more than the legal minimum support to the Department of Homeland Security.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Scott Malone and Sandra Maler)
