Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election, a decision that highlights his history of progressive stances on immigration matters. This assessment of his record indicates a consistent opposition to stringent border enforcement and a support for policies favoring undocumented immigrants, which has drawn criticism from advocates of stricter immigration control.

In a post on X on Tuesday morning, Harris announced Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. As governor and previously as a congressman, Walz has championed initiatives that align with pro-immigration sentiments. Notably, in March 2023, he enacted state legislation permitting undocumented immigrants to acquire driver’s licenses, potentially allowing around 81,000 individuals in Minnesota to apply. In a statement at the time, Walz asserted that providing licenses to those living in the state without legal status would enhance safety on the roads.

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In the course of his successful gubernatorial campaign in 2018, Walz openly expressed his endorsement of “sanctuary” policies in Minnesota, as reported by CBS News.

“Here’s what I believe: Congress has given federal agencies the authority to enforce immigration laws in Minnesota, and I support their doing so,” the then-gubernatorial candidate said in 2018. “Congress has not given local law enforcement that same authority.”

“The role of law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws, not federal immigration laws, and I strongly believe that they should not do so,” his statement continued.

The statement primarily aligned with the principles endorsed by sanctuary city proponents: the refusal of local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Sanctuary jurisdictions generally do not comply with detainer requests for undocumented migrants who have been arrested, permitting their reintegration into the community upon their release from local custody.

Furthermore, Walz enacted legislation that provides state-funded healthcare and free college tuition for undocumented immigrants during his tenure as governor. Prior to his election as governor, Walz was a member of Congress from 2007 to 2019. NumbersUSA, an organization advocating for stricter border control, assigned him a “D” rating regarding immigration matters, citing a series of bills he co-sponsored that, in their view, compromised border security.

Additionally, while serving as a representative, Walz publicly criticized then-President Donald Trump’s initiative to construct a border wall, labeling it as “ridiculous.”