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Republicans accused the mayors of New York, Chicago, Denver and Boston of providing sanctuary to criminals, while Democrats pointed to falling crime rates and defended helping the needy.
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Republicans Grill Democratic Mayors on Immigration Policy
At a congressional hearing, House Republicans accused the mayors of New York, Denver, Chicago and Boston of providing sanctuary to criminals and not fully cooperating with federal immigration efforts.
“Welcome, everyone here today. Chicago Mayor Johnson.” “Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Comer.” “As a result, sanctuary cities released criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets, where they often go on to commit more crimes.” “All of the mayors here today are actively working to harm the American people you represent. You all have blood on your hands.” “I think we’ve got a problem here. When we decide that there’s some laws that we will obey and some laws that we won’t.” “The false narrative is that immigrants in general are criminals, or immigrants in general cause all sorts of danger and harm. That is, that is actually what is undermining safety in our communities. If you wanted to make us safe, pass gun reforms, stop cutting Medicaid, stop cutting cancer research, stop cutting funds for veterans. That is what will make our city safe.” “Every violent crime is devastating, but scapegoating entire communities is not only misleading, it is unjust, and it is beneath us. So let me be clear. Chicago’s welcoming city ordinance and our other laws and policies do not lead to more crime.” “Overall, crime was down across New York City last year, and we have now had three straight months of double-digit declines in major crimes. To be clear, the sanctuary-city classification does not mean our city will ever be a safe haven for violent criminals. New York City will always comply with city, state and federal laws as it does now.” “Any actions that amplify fears of deportations make Chicago more dangerous. Those fears cause witnesses and victims to avoid cooperating with police. The cooperation of all people, regardless of their immigration status, is essential to achieving the city’s goals of reducing crime and pursuing justice for victims.” “This federal administration is making hard-working, tax paying, God-fearing residents afraid to live their lives. A city that is scared is not a city that’s safe. A land ruled by fear is not the land of the free.” “The premise of this hearing is false. We have local law enforcement cooperating with the local political leadership, and it’s working. It’s bringing down crime rates. And the proposition that immigrants cause crime is false. And the idea that these are sanctuary cities that need to be punished is simply a war on urban America.”
- March 5, 2025Updated 8:11 p.m. ET
House Republicans cast the mayors of four major American cities as willful impediments to President Trump’s mass deportation agenda during a tense congressional hearing on Wednesday. But in doing so, Republicans also gave the leaders a national platform to passionately defend their cities’ policies and immigrants.
The hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, one of the most contentious on Capitol Hill, lasted nearly six hours and grew increasingly confrontational. Republicans accused the Democratic leaders of New York, Chicago, Denver and Boston of sheltering dangerous criminals, while several of the mayors pointed to inaction in Washington.
Many Republicans demanded yes or no answers to questions that were intended to force the mayors into stumbles that could hurt them with their constituents — and perhaps create a viral moment for members of Congress trying to bolster their reputations as standard bearers for the Trump administration.
Here are five takeaways from the hearing:
Republicans tried to pin migrant crimes on ‘sanctuary city’ policies.
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House Republicans argued that officials in so-called sanctuary cities have refused to fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts, making them at least partly responsible when migrants commit violent crimes.
From the start of the hearing, the committee chairman, Representative James Comer of Kentucky, and many other Republicans, referred to cases of rape or murder involving unauthorized immigrants and asked each mayor if he or she would have handed the suspect over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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