Mayor Brandon Johnson defends Chicago's immigration policies on Capitol Hill; "Chicago is and always has been a proud city of immigrants."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson proudly defended Chicago's sanctuary city status on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he testified before a congressional committee on the city's immigration policies, saying, "Nothing is more important to me than the safety and wellbeing of all residents."
The U.S. House Oversight Committee asked Mayor Johnson to testify, along with Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, Mayor Mike Johnston of Denver, and Mayor Eric Adams of New York City. The mayors sat and testified for more than five hours.
The committee's chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for criminals and create a public nightmare.
"We cannot let pro-criminal, alien policies in obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers," Comer said. "Today, Mayors Wu, Johnson, Johnston and Adams will be held publicly accountable for their failure to follow the law and protect the American people."
However, Johnson and the other mayors defended their immigration policies, saying they have an obligation to protect everyone living in their cities, regardless of their immigration status.
"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," Johnson said at the start of Wednesday's hearing.
Johnson defended the city's sanctuary policies protecting undocumented immigrants, and largely prohibiting police from cooperating with federal immigration agents in most cases, saying sanctuary laws make sure police are focused on local priorities.
"As mayor of Chicago, nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of all residents," he said. "We must not let mischaracterizations and fear-mongering obscure the reality that Chicago's crime rates are trending down. We still have a long way to go, but sensationalizing tragedy in the name of political expediency is not governing, it's grandstanding,"
Johnson said Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance helps promote trust and cooperation between police and immigrant communities by reducing fears of deportations.
"Forty years of Chicago's leaders have recognized that our policies toward civil immigration matters help to solve and prevent crimes. Put simply, any actions that amplify fears of deportations make Chicago more dangerous. Those fears cause victims and witnesses to avoid cooperating with police," Johnson said. "When there is trust between cities' residents and the police, undocumented immigrants come forward to report crimes to local law enforcement, and provide information that helps police solve those crimes."
Johnson, with an assist from U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois), underlined that police do help with immigration enforcement in certain circumstances.
"Chicago is required to help ICE whenever ICE presents a judicial criminal warrant for an arrest, correct?" Krishnamoorthi said.
"Yes," Johnson said.
"Everything that is dope about America comes from Chicago," Johnson said.
Both Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance and the Illinois TRUST Act largely prohibit state, county, and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal authorities in cases of civil immigration enforcement activities; but not in cases involving a criminal warrant or other court order.
Chicago's ordinance prohibits police from arresting someone solely because of their immigration status. It also prohibits the city from asking someone about their immigration status, disclosing a person's immigration status to federal authorities, or cooperating with an investigation of someone's immigration status unless ordered to do so by a court or federal law.
In cases where an undocumented immigrant has been arrested, ICE officials might issue a detainer asking police to hold them for 48 hours until ICE agents can take them into federal custody, but the Illinois TRUST Act prohibits such cooperation, except in cases where the person faces a federal criminal arrest warrant.
Some of the staunchest House conservatives are on the House Oversight Committee — including Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), and Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado).
While Democrats in the room arguing their policies help fight crime, Republicans argued the mayors are themselves committing crimes with their sanctuary city policies.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, told Johnson and the other mayors at the hearing that they all have "blood on their hands." She went on to ask Johnson, "Are you willing to go to jail for violating federal law?"
"The city of Chicago complies with all laws," Johnson said.
"Oh, I highly doubt that," Mace replied.
Mace also told Johnson, "This is why you have a 6% approval rating, because you suck at answering questions."
Johnson and the other mayors were also pressed on the billions spent to house and care for those in their cities illegally.
"Who elected you, the people that came illegally — whether they were sent to you or not — or the people of Chicago?" said Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania). "Who elected you, and who do you serve?
"The people of Chicago elected me," Johnson said.
Johnson was hit with some dizzying attacks on both his style and substance — such as when he couldn't quickly produce the cost of migrants in Chicago.
"You're the mayor and you don't have the numbers in front of you?" said U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida). "That's why you're a failing mayor."
Johnson also had to contend with ethical questions unrelated to the sanctuary city issue — regarding the City Hall gift closet to which Johnson has refused outsiders as hundreds of gift givers remain unnamed.
"This raises serious ethical concerns," said U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas). "You're providing an enormous amount of aid to aid to illegal aliens, aiding and abetting criminals who are coming into our country illegally, and you yourself are receiving an enormous amount of gifts."
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Illinois) called into question the mayor's claims about Chicago's safety.
"I've been amazed at how tone-deaf you have been, and how oblivious you've been, to the decline of Chicago," LaHood said. "Out-of-control crime in Chicago, people scared throughout neighborhoods."
As LaHood hit Johnson on his dismal approval ratings and growing deficit, Johnson tried to make an olive branch moment asking for partners, not enemies, on the Hill.
"We could use your help, and I'm willing to work with you, and I'm glad I had a chance to finally meet you for the first time," Johnson said.
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) told Johnson and the other three mayors that she was referring them all to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation.
Those papers have now been filed with the Department of Justice. It was unclear late Wednesday where that effort might go.
A criminal referral does not require the Justice Department to open an investigation, but serves as a formal notice that a lawmaker or committee believes criminal conduct may have occurred.
Mayor Johnson addressed reporters after the hearing.
"Today, I was able to express to this committee all of the hard work that I've done since I've been mayor to drive violent crime down in the city of Chicago," Johnson said. "This year, we're headed in the right direction already — over 20%, the violent crime is down in the city of Chicago. That's the result of a comprehensive approach toward community safety — investing in our young people."
A reporter noted that committee chairman Comer said federal funding is at risk if the mayors continue to "obstruct" with regard to sanctuary city policies. Johnson redirected the subject to safety in his response, while also pointing out how many tax dollars go from Chicago to the federal government.
"It's incumbent upon this body to support the efforts that I have put forth in the city of Chicago to drive violence down," Johnson said. "Now look, we have representation that's here in Washington. We're going to continue to make sure that our representation shows up for the people of Chicago. Here's my last point — the residents of Chicago, we send billions of tax dollars to Washington, D.C. It's incumbent upon D.C. to actually pay the residents of Chicago their fair share."
The mayor was asked about the threat that he and the other mayors could be brought up on criminal charges for Chicago's sanctuary city policies.
"If that happens, our legal team — our corporate counsel — will review those documents and proceed accordingly, but again, our focus is making sure that the people of Chicago are safe," Johnson said.
Johnson was also asked about how he felt he performed answering questions at the hearing, and how he prepared.
"It's a lot easier to speak to the values of our city when you believe in it, right? And so I will say this — being a middle school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools certainly prepares you for this committee," he said.
Mayor Johnson spent days preparing for hearing
The mayor spent three days preparing for the exchange, and six members of his team came to Washington. Over the course of the preparations, the members of the mayor's team played the roles of members of the House committee.
CBS News Chicago is told members of the committee were coached by the White House on how to get the mayors out of their comfort zones, akin to how university presidents fumbled in late 2023 as they were questioned about their responses to rising antisemitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel sparked protests. The hearings lead to changes at top universities in the U.S.
On the other side of the ledger, Mayor Johnson has received input from the likes of former mayors Lori Lightfoot and Rahm Emanuel, and former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
They gave Johnson three basic pieces of advice — the first being that there is no winning in the hearing, as Republicans control the federal government, and a very conservative House committee has called the mayor to testify. The goal, the advisers said, is for the mayor to try to come out unscathed.
Johnson was also advised to ask why Congress has not done more to stop the flow of guns to Chicago, and really to try to keep his thoughts to two or three ideas and not to go astray from those ideas.
While there is no upside to be won in Washington on Johnson's visit, there would have been a downside if he had not accepted the invitation. If he had refused, the committee could have subpoenaed Johnson to force him to appear.
The Trump administration also has threatened to withhold federal funds for jurisdictions that don't comply with federal immigration law or interfere with enforcement. In a January executive order dubbed "Protecting The American People Against Invasion," the president directed the attorney general and homeland security secretary to ensure that sanctuary cities "do not receive access to Federal funds," and take legal action against them.
