Four Democratic Mayors Under Fire for Sanctuary City Status

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met on Wednesday, March 5. The meeting had a specific goal: to demand answers from four Democratic mayors on their sanctuary policies. As often happens when the two sides of the aisle come together to discuss illegal immigration, tempers flared, accusations were thrown about, and retribution was promised.

Last month, the committee released a nearly three-minute video ad on X, with the title, “BREAKING: Boston, Chicago, Denver, NYC Sanctuary Mayors to Be Held Publicly Accountable on March 5.” The audiovisual hammered the four mayors using news and media clips to pound in the point: that these lawmakers – by insisting on sanctuary city status and not cooperating with federal agencies – are breaking the law and putting American citizens in danger. The video concluded with “GAME ON,” portending how yesterday’s meeting would go.

Sanctuary Mayors Feel the Burn

Mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver, and Eric Adams of New York were called to testify before the committee regarding their illegal immigration strategies. Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky opened the six-hour hearing by saying sanctuary policies “only create sanctuary for criminals.” He added: “We cannot let pro-criminal alien policies and obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers.”

Mayor Wu boasted that Boston is the safest major city in America, despite the video that showed news clips highlighting several arrests of illegal-migrant criminals. She said that Trump’s immigration policies are “Making hardworking, taxpaying, God-fearing people afraid to live their lives. A city that’s scared is not a city that’s safe.”

Denver’s Mayor Johnston also claimed his city was safe, but Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan disagreed. He referred to an incident in which local authorities only gave federal agents a one-hour notice before releasing Abraham Gonzalez despite an ICE detainer request. Gonzalez, 23, is a Venezuelan illegal migrant charged with assault, menace, and vehicle theft. When ICE then came to arrest Gonzalez themselves, he assaulted them. “They have to arrest him in the parking lot,” Jordan explained. “They bring six officers when they could have just had one or two just come in your facility, into your jail, and take the guy there. But you won’t do it that way.”

“Americans are fed up with this betrayal of oath. And you’ll be held accountable,” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), a former police officer, said “One of you said you’re willing to go to jail. We might give you that opportunity, good mayor.” He referred to Denver Mayor Johnston, who claimed last year that he would face jail to protect migrants from illegal immigration policies he felt were against the law. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) held up papers saying she would refer the four mayors to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.

New York Mayor Eric Adams seemed to attract the most heat, but not from the committee, who actually praised him for his work in following Trump’s immigration policies. Instead, his fellow Democrats hit him with a barrage of accusations and demands.

“We have a right to know if the Trump administration has actually coerced you into agreeing to him,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), referring to an indictment last fall on corruption charges. Recently, the Justice Department dropped the charges, a move so controversial that prosecutors – some of them Republicans – resigned en masse. “Are you selling out New Yorkers to save yourself from prosecution?” Garcia continued.

“There’s no deal, no quid pro quo, and I did nothing wrong,” Adams insisted.

Some of the Republicans on the committee came to his defense. “Mayor Adams is being attacked because he’s agreed to cooperate with federal officials to uphold the laws of the United States,” Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) said. Rep. Comer thanked Adams for being “willing to work with [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] on detaining the most criminal illegals – and I want to publicly thank you for that.” Even Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, took the time to post on X during the committee meeting, saying that “Mayor Adams is trying to protect New Yorkers from violent aliens.”

The New Yorker continued to come under fire, with some of his Democratic members calling for Adams to resign. “I personally agree with a majority of New Yorkers and believe that you should resign,” Rep. Garcia declared. “You should do the right thing, you should step down and resign today.”

After a day of blaming, demands, and threats of retribution, the committee ended the meeting with nothing yet resolved. Time will tell if the four Democrat mayors will be turned over to the Justice Department for their sanctuary policies or if Adams will cave under the pressure and resign. The meeting seemingly served to chastise the lawmakers publicly and maybe to set the tone for more committee meetings with other sanctuary city officials called to explain their behavior.

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