U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, delivered an opening statement on Mar. 10 at a committee hearing focused on sanctuary cities. Merkley addressed the committee and introduced two expert witnesses: David J. Bier from the Cato Institute and Brendan Duke from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The topic of sanctuary cities has drawn national attention due to ongoing debates about immigration enforcement and local autonomy. Merkley questioned the relevance of the hearing's focus, saying that issues such as changes in federal spending, health care cuts, and military actions abroad have more significant budget implications for American families.
In his remarks, Merkley criticized recent legislative changes he referred to as "The Big, Ugly Betrayal Law," which he said reduced nutrition assistance for children, cut health care for millions, increased wealth inequality, and expanded both the national deficit and funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He also raised concerns about ICE's conduct under recent policies: "Now, Trump has turned ICE into his secret police. I never thought I’d see federal agents wearing masks without personal ID... detaining people without access to attorneys or family." Merkley cited incidents where three American citizens were killed by ICE officers.
Merkley also discussed the financial impact of new military operations in Iran, noting that seven U.S. servicemembers had been killed and that cost estimates ranged from $1 billion to $2 billion per day. He argued that these topics warranted greater attention from the committee than sanctuary city policies.
Addressing misconceptions about sanctuary jurisdictions, Merkley said: "The word 'sanctuary' is a misnomer. Sanctuary policies do not make places a limitless safe haven where immigrants cannot be detained or deported." He emphasized that such policies are rooted in constitutional principles of state autonomy and public safety benefits: "Research shows that sanctuary jurisdictions have higher median household income, less poverty... lower crime rates." According to Merkley, requiring local police to enforce federal immigration law undermines community trust and increases crime.
Concluding his statement, Merkley thanked Bier and Duke for their participation as expert witnesses on issues related to immigration policy oversight and budgetary impacts affecting working families.
