Senate Republicans Target State, Local Immigration Policies

GOP lawmakers aim to prevent local governments from limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Senate Republicans held a hearing on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for legislation that would prevent state and local governments from making decisions on whether to limit cooperation with the federal government on immigration enforcement. Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham argued that sanctuary cities undercut federal law and that local policies shielding immigrants without legal status should be banned. Democrats on the committee pushed back, arguing the hearing was off-base and that the committee should instead be addressing fiscal issues like rising gas prices.

Why it matters

This hearing signals an escalation in the ongoing battle between Republican-led federal efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement and Democratic-led state and local policies that seek to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The outcome could have significant implications for how immigration is policed across the country.

The details

Senate Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, argued that sanctuary city policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement should be banned. They called for legislation to prevent state and local governments from making their own decisions on this issue. Democrats on the committee pushed back, arguing the hearing was off-base and that the committee should instead be addressing economic issues like rising gas prices.

  • The hearing took place on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.

The players

Lindsey Graham

The Republican senator from South Carolina who chairs the Senate Budget Committee and led the hearing on immigration enforcement policies.

Jeff Merkley

The Democratic senator from Oregon who is the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.

Chad Wolf

The former Secretary of Homeland Security under the Trump administration who testified at the hearing.

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What they’re saying

“To restore the rule of law, the era of sanctuary cities needs to come to an end.”

— Chad Wolf, Former DHS Secretary

“We now have a secret police called ICE.”

— Jeff Merkley, Senator

“Sanctuary is a bit of a misnomer. It refers to the decision that local police will serve as local police and not be commandeered to be assisting ICE agents.”

— Jeff Merkley, Senator

What’s next

The Senate Republicans signaled they will introduce legislation to prevent state and local governments from limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, though the details of such a bill have not yet been announced.

The takeaway

This hearing highlights the ongoing political battle over immigration enforcement, with Republican lawmakers seeking to restrict the ability of state and local governments to set their own policies, while Democrats argue these policies are necessary to protect immigrant communities and civil liberties.