Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faced questioning before federal lawmakers in Congress on Wednesday, defending the “Welcoming City” ordinance that has drawn Republican ire.
In his opening remarks, Johnson described Chicago as a “proud city of immigrants,” and argued the city is safer because of its ordinances protecting the rights of immigrants.
“The city is safer because of our Welcoming City Ordinance,” he said. “That law makes sure that the city’s police resources are focused on our local priorities.”
Johnson pushed back on GOP assertions that the ordinance prevents cooperating with federal law enforcement on matters of immigration, and disputed the idea that the ordinance helps lead to more crime.
“We do not ‘harbor’ criminals, we arrest them,” Johnson said. “(This happens) often because of laws that allow all residents to feel safe in helping the police.”
You can watch the full hearing on NBC Chicago's YouTube channel. Part 1 is below, and the other two parts can be found here and here.
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During his opening statement, Chairman James Comer blasted the mayors of the four cities for what he called obstructing the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail border crossings and to deport those who had entered the country illegally.
Specifically he cited a recent killing of a 63-year-old man in Chicago, which police sources told the Chicago Sun-Times was allegedly committed by individuals in the country illegally.
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House Oversight Cmte - Hearing on Sanctuary Cities - Boston, Chicago, Denver, NYC - Chair James Comer (R- KY)
— DogeWatchReport (@DogeWatchReport) March 5, 2025
🔹Opening Statement - Biden had no willpower to end the Border Invasion - Result of Deliberate Choice
🔹Sanctuaries for Criminals pic.twitter.com/bMM2sehDhW
“An innocent man is dead because of Chicago’s refusal to follow the law,” Comer said.
Johnson said that Republican lawmakers are working to “sensationalize tragedy” in tying violent crime to immigration, and accused them of “grandstanding” on the issue.
“We know there are myths about these laws. But we must not let mischaracterizations and fearmongering obscure the reality that Chicago’s crime rates are trending down,” Johnson said. “We still have a long way to go, but sensationalizing tragedy in the name of political expediency is not governing. It’s grandstanding.”
Comer called for a halt to federal funding for cities with such policies in place.
“Congress must follow by not allowing a single penny of federal funding to go to cities and states that prioritize criminal aliens over the American people,” he said.
Illinois laws prevent police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts in civil immigration cases, but do not prevent such cooperation in criminal cases when there is a federal warrant issued. In Chicago, police do not ask about an individual's immigration status, and city services are not denied to individuals based on immigration status.
The Justice Department has filed suit over those policies, alleging they violate executive orders issued by the Trump administration. Courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of sanctuary laws, according to NBC News.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, the ranking member of the committee, chose to blast the Trump administration on a variety of fronts, including the attempt to dismiss charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, who testified before the committee on Wednesday.
“(The charges were to be dismissed) in exchange for that witness’s total and complete submission to the radical immigration agenda being (enacted) by the administration,” he said.
Adams was indicted on five federal charges last year, including bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed prosecutors to drop the case, leading to the resignation of numerous prosecutors in New York. Democrats blasted the push, launching an investigation and arguing that the Trump administration planned to dismiss the charges without prejudice so that they could be refiled if Adams didn’t cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts.
Adams testified that his administration and the city could “reduce crime, even as a sanctuary city,” and said he wants to roll back some policies to help in the “removal of dangerous people from our streets.”
