Takeaways from the congressional hearing grilling ‘sanctuary city’ mayors on immigration

The mayors of four so-called “sanctuary cities” faced tough questions from lawmakers about their policies toward immigrants and how they work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday.

The mayors of four “sanctuary cities” faced tough questions from lawmakers about their policies toward immigrants and how they work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday. New York Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, all Democrats, were grilled by Republican lawmakers critical of their cities’ policies that limit cooperation with ICE. Some even accused them of violating federal law and raised the possibility of criminal charges. The committee is led by Rep. James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, who issued a fiery statement setting the tone for the hearing that at times devolved into a yelling match. “The pro-illegal alien mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City have implemented reckless, illegal policies that shield criminal aliens from federal immigration enforcement and endanger public safety,” he said. “On March 5, the House Oversight Committee will hold sanctuary mayors publicly accountable for refusing to abide by the law and placing Americans’ lives at risk.” The hearing came amid President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on immigration to the US and deport people who are in the country illegally. The Justice Department has said it plans to be aggressive against Democratic-led “sanctuary cities” and has threatened to withhold federal funds from cities that refuse to cooperate on immigration enforcement. Here are some takeaways from the hearing: