Democratic mayors of “sanctuary cities” set to testify before Congress

The hearing will likely highlight a standoff between the federal government and local jurisdictions that has emerged since Mr. Trump took office.

In January, the new leadership at the Justice Department directed federal prosecutors and law enforcement to focus on enacting the president’s immigration agenda and potentially charge local officials who get in the way of their efforts, while also directing the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces to assist in enacting the policies. 

The Trump administration has also 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. 

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has played a central role amid an influx of immigrants to his city. According to the Denver Gazette, around 40,000 immigrants have arrived since 2023 in Denver, which is located only 640 miles north of the border city of El Paso, Texas. Johnston’s office told the Denver Gazette that it has helped 5,000 immigrants file for asylum or work permits.

Shortly after President Trump was elected in November, Johnston said he would be willing to use civil disobedience, or if necessary, go to jail to stop immigration enforcement in his city. Mr. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan responded, saying, “Look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail. I’m willing to put him in jail.”

Johnston has softened some of his language. He told Denver’s NBC affiliate a few days later that he’s “not afraid” of going to jail, but he’s “not seeking that.”

In January, he said he will work with ICE officers, although he told Denver’s Fox affiliate that the city would continue to protect schools, churches and hospitals.

Sanctuary policies generally refer to laws that dictate that a jurisdiction may not comply to some extent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, whose agents work with local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration law in non-sanctuary cities. Dozens of localities across the country limit how local law enforcement complies with ICE. 

Advocates for the sanctuary laws have long argued that compliance with ICE discourages individuals who are in the country illegally from reporting other crimes to local law enforcement, and that the sanctuary policies create a safer environment for immigrants more broadly.

The policies have been around for decades. But criticism has grown in recent years as some Democratic-led cities struggled to manage an influx of migrants who entered the country under the Biden administration. And the Trump administration’s effort to enhance border security and pledge to enact the largest mass deportation operation in history has increased tension between federal policy and the local priorities.

House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement that committee Republicans are planning to “hold sanctuary mayors publicly accountable for refusing to abide by the law and placing Americans’ lives at risk.”

Comer, who launched the probe into the cities’ policies, celebrated that the Trump administration is “rightfully taking action against sanctuary cities,” alleging that the cities’ leaders have shielded criminals and endangered public safety. He argued that for refusing to comply with federal immigration enforcement, the local governments “should not receive a penny of federal funding.”

The Kentucky Republican has highlighted President Trump’s emphasis on border security and cracking down on illegal immigration, noting that Congress must determine what other actions are necessary — while ensuring that federal law is enforced.

Here are the mayors who will be testifying before the GOP-led Oversight Committee:

• Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
• Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
• Denver Mayor Mike Johnston
• New York Mayor Eric Adams