Johnson testifies in Congress alongside mayors of New York City, Boston, Denver for over six hours

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson testified in front of a congressional committee on Wednesday, March 5, about the city’s sanctuary status, which restricts city agencies, including the Chicago Police Department (CPD), from working with the federal government to carry out mass deportations.

The mayors of Chicago, New York, Boston and Denver, all sanctuary cities, appeared in front of the GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to defend their city’s efforts to combat closed borders, detention and deportation, as well as to oppose cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. 

In his opening statement, Johnson said: “Chicago is, and always has been, a proud city of immigrants. Generations of new arrivals, including the descendants of the enslaved during the Great Migration, created a vibrant city where one in five residents is foreign born. 

“Each day I wake up to serve every one of Chicago’s 77 unique neighborhoods and those who live in our great city as mayor of Chicago. Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well being of all residents,” he said. The full statement can be accessed here. 

The House committee consists of 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats, with the leading Democrat Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia. Connolly has been spearheading the charge against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

As Rep. Gerald Connolly speaks, signs are held behind him showcasing an NBC news article and a letter from a child that reads: “If ICE takes me, don’t forget about me. I will be in El Salvador. You’re my best friend, the brother I never had. I cry every night thinking that they will come for me at school.”

During the hearing, Republican congressional leaders threatened the mayors with jail time for “violating their oath of office,” according to Republican Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina told the mayors, “You all have blood on your hands,” and Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna threatened to refer the mayors to the Department of Justice for investigation. 

Across the aisle, Democratic congressional leaders described the fear within migrant communities that they will be racially profiled, separated from their families, detained and deported. As a result, undocumented immigrants aren’t seeking healthcare or going to school. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said GOP leaders are “terrorizing immigrant families” with their immigration policies. 

“I feel like we have the wrong people in the room today,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam. “We have mayors of cities that are trying to do their best with the situation that they have, and then we have governors in Texas and Florida who are bussing folks up to your cities.”

Since August 31, 2022, more than 50,000 individuals seeking asylum have arrived in Chicago via Texas buses and airplanes. 

While Congress cannot revoke Chicago’s sanctuary city status, it can cut off federal funds. The executive branch has already done so with the feds withholding $1.88 billion of federal money to Illinois, a move that could force state agencies and organizations — including the Department of Transportation and State Board of Education — to pause operations. 

Johnson said in the hearing that taking away federal grants “would certainly undermine all of the investments that we’ve made thus far since I’ve been mayor. We’ve provided $20 billion of new investments that could contribute to the overall safety of the city of Chicago.” 

According to a study conducted by Tom K. Wong, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, who compared sanctuary cities to non-sanctuary cities, “crime is lower and economies are stronger” in sanctuary cities. On average, there are 35.5 fewer crimes committed per 10,000 people and the poverty rate is 2.3% lower in sanctuary cities. 

These trends were repeated multiple times by the mayors testifying in front of the committee today. They also noted several times their belief that a freeze in federal funding to these cities would make them less safe. 

Before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began appearing in Chicago on January 26, Chicago launched the “Know Your Rights” campaign, which includes a resource guide, information on how to prepare for a potential ICE raid and what to do if ICE comes to your home or workplace. The campaign was displayed on more than 400 screens across the Chicago Transit Authority system. 

“Chicago will always be a Welcoming City, not just by ordinance, but also with our inclusive

and loving spirit,” Johnson said, according to a press release from January 23. “Our ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign in collaboration with the CTA is a demonstration of our commitment to protecting and supporting all people of Chicago.”

In an interview with CNN, Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, said, “Chicago, very well educated. They’ve been educated how to defy ICE, on how to hide from ICE. They call it ‘Know Your Rights.’ I call it how to escape from ICE.”

After Johnson was asked to testify in front of the congressional committee, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it would be suing the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois and Cook County for “making it more difficult for, and deliberately impeding, federal immigration officers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed on February 6. 

Gov. JB Pritzker quickly responded on February 7, calling it “garbage” and an illegal move by Trump. “In Illinois we have grit, we are tough, we are strong and Donald Trump has no idea what he is up against when he attacks Illinois,” he said.