Mayors from several sanctuary cities testified on March 5 in Washington, D.C, addressing their immigration policies. Lawmakers are threatening to press charges for their lack of compliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, New York Mayor Eric Adams, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. All these cities defended their policies to protect immigrants by limiting their cooperation with federal immigration officers.
According to NBC5 Chicago, Rep. James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, said states that refuse to comply with federal immigration officers would stop receiving federal funding.
“Chicago and Illinois both have laws on the books that limit local police officers’ ability to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Comer said.
According to the CBS live stream, Rep. Summer Lee explains the two-sided position that the mayors at the hearing are in: having to comply with ICE or dealing with the consequence of losing federal funding.
“Trump is trying to get [the mayors of sanctuary cities] to do illegal things. If they work for ICE, they risk violating their own residents’ constitutional rights and opening themselves up to costly litigation,” Lee said. “But if they don’t do Trump’s bidding, they’re being threatened with losing federal funding.”
Later in the hearing, each mayor was asked how taking away federal grants would impact their city’s safety. Mayors Johnston (Denver) and Johnson (Chicago) both indicated that the revocation of federal funds would make their cities less safe. Mayor Wu (Boston) emphasizes the impact of federal funding on education and overall safety.
“Withdrawing federal funds would make us less safe,” Wu said. “Education makes us more safe, housing makes us more safe, and we rely on those funds.”
In Chicago, public schools rely on the federal aid they receive to continue their different programs, and an immediate cut to this funding would harm support systems for students. Federal grants support programs for students with disabilities, low-income, and mental health services.
One major program, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduates has helped thousands of Chicago students prepare for college through a federal grant.
Students in sanctuary cities like Chicago could face limited access to academic programs, extracurricular activities, and college preparation services if federal aid is taken away. The potential cuts could also widen the achievement gap for low-income and minority students who depend on federally funded support systems.
According to News Nation, all four of the sanctuary cities have spent billions of dollars providing support and shelter for the continuous influx of immigrants. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sued Chicago and New York, claiming they have delayed the federal government’s reinforcement of immigration laws.
News Nation later mentions Mayor Johnson’s point about falling crime rates in Chicago, which contradicts Republicans’ argument labeling Chicago as a dangerous city. Despite their thoughts on Chicago’s safety, the threat to federal funding, and the risk to education, Mayor Johnson believes it is important that Chicago remains a sanctuary city due to its history and values of welcoming all immigrants. According to News Nation, Mayor Johnson stands firm in Chicago’s position to continue to support immigrants.
“That’s just who we are,” Johnson said. “We’re a city, again, that was established by a Black Haitian immigrant. That is the punch. We’re responding to individuals who don’t share our values.”
