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Legal groups and governors warn ICE raids in schools, churches and hospitals risk civil liberties and community trust
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Summary
Witnesses told the Oversight Committee that recent ICE practices — including arrests at schools, hospitals and houses of worship and the suspension of 'sensitive-locations' protections — have led to litigation and fear among immigrant communities, while governors said states try to balance community safety with due-process protections.
A legal leader who represents clients and communities affected by federal immigration enforcement told the House Oversight Committee that recent ICE tactics have crossed longstanding lines protecting "sensitive locations" such as schools and houses of worship and have prompted litigation and community fear.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward Foundation, told the committee that courts have repeatedly blocked or criticized the current administration's immigration tactics and that nonprofit legal groups have filed dozens of suits to preserve due process. "These agents are also going into previously protected spaces," Perryman testified, saying her organization has litigated to stop ICE from entering houses of worship and to challenge policies that prolong detention of immigrant children without family access.
Democratic members underscored those civil-liberty concerns, highlighting recent reports in which U.S. citizens and lawful residents were briefly detained or deported in enforcement actions that they said lacked adequate process. Lawmakers and witnesses also said that cancelling contracts providing legal representation for children in immigration court raises constitutional concerns and leaves vulnerable children without counsel.
Governors said states must protect residents and ensure law-and-order but argued that state and local officials cannot be asked to carry out routine federal civil immigration enforcement. Gov. Walz described Minnesota procedures that include sharing information for convicted felons and coordinating with federal authorities when judicial warrants exist; Gov. Pritzker and Gov. Hochul made similar points about cooperating in criminal cases but not making civil immigration enforcement a core state function.
Republicans pressed the governors to more often honor ICE civil detainers and criticized executive orders and state or local policies they said prevented federal agents from taking custody of dangerous individuals. Democrats and Perryman repeatedly said that federal enforcement should focus on criminal suspects and that indiscriminate operations have harmed citizens and immigrant communities alike.
The committee did not reach a consensus on statutory changes; instead members on both sides signaled further oversight, requests for documents and potential legislative proposals as follow-up.
