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Republican lawmakers repeatedly attacked four big-city US mayors during a contentious congressional hearing on immigration, claiming their sanctuary policies are interfering with President Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations.
The four mayors testifying in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday - Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York - are all Democrats. Republican committee Chairman James Comer said they were called to testify so they could be "held accountable for their failure to follow the law and protect the American people."
The mayors faced harsh questioning from conservative Republican House members including Jim Jordan of Ohio and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who assailed them for what they said was a lack of cooperation with federal authorities on arresting migrant criminals.
All four cities have long-established sanctuary ordinances, which generally limit local law enforcement from participating in federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement action, with some exceptions. Proponents say the policies are meant to foster trust between state and local law enforcement and immigrant communities, so undocumented migrants aren't afraid to call the police if they witness or are the victim of a crime.
"I have seen firsthand the damage that can be done when someone is too afraid to seek out the police," Adams told lawmakers, a remark echoed a few minutes later by Chicago's Johnson.
Wu of Boston went a step further. She said not only does fear of deportation prevent people from contacting law enforcement, but they're also not engaging in their communities.
"I spoke with pastors whose pews are half empty on Sundays, doctors whose patients are missing appointments, teachers whose students aren't coming to class, neighbors afraid to report crimes in their communities, and victims of violence who won't call the police," said Wu, who arrived at the hearing with her newborn baby.
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Adams, a former police captain who in the past has criticized the city's sanctuary status, said New York could continue to fight crime even as it provides refuge for migrants. He touted the economic contribution of immigrants and the "vital role" they play in the functioning of the city.
"A ‘sanctuary city' classification does not mean our city will ever be a safe haven for violent criminals," Adams said. "It also does not give New York City the authority to violate federal immigration laws."
Adams has said he wants New York's sanctuary laws amended, but he can't unilaterally do that without the approval of the City Council.
Adams' relationship with Trump on immigration has come under attack in New York after the US Justice Department directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop a pending bribery case against the mayor, with the possibility of resurrecting the case sometime in the future.
The directive prompted criticism that Adams would be more beholden to Trump's deportation agenda than the welfare of the city. He has met at least twice with Trump's border czar, Tom Homan. New York has cared for more than 232,000 migrants since 2022, according to City Hall, at a cost of more than $7 billion.
The Trump administration calls sanctuary policies illegal, saying they obstruct ICE enforcement actions. On the campaign trail last year and since returning to office in January, the Republican president had pledged to strip those cities of federal funding.
The Biden administration spent about $1 billion on grants and reimbursements to cities, states and non-governmental organizations responding to the migrant crisis over the past two years. Denver, Chicago and New York received a combined total of roughly $140 million in federal funds to cover expenses related to housing and feeding migrants, while Boston was awarded about $2 million during the 2023 budget year.
Homan has repeatedly said he would focus ICE operations on sanctuary cities, specifically threatening to arrest Denver's Johnston if he tried to interfere with operations there. Homan has also made recent pledges to target Boston because of its sanctuary policies.
• Texas Origin
Chicago, Denver and New York have been at the forefront of the crisis since Texas Governor Greg Abbott began busing migrants from the southern border into the cities in 2022.
Since then, Chicago has received over 51,000 migrants, according to the city's resettlement project dashboard. More than 45,000 migrants were bussed to New York as of October, according to Abbott's office. And Denver reported processing more than 43,000 foreigners, most arriving by Texas-funded buses, since January 2023.
Chicago's policy allows the city's police to detain undocumented individuals if they're "wanted on a criminal warrant by local or federal authorities, if they have been convicted of a serious crime and remain in the US illegally, or if they are otherwise a clear threat to public safety or national security," according to a release by the city.
New York's sanctuary guidelines date to the 1980s but were expanded under former Mayor Bill De Blasio in 2014. That same year, Boston established its policy, which bars local police from keeping immigrants in custody for possible deportation by federal officials unless a criminal warrant has been issued for the person's arrest. Denver officially established its sanctuary policies in 2017.
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