Democratic mayors strategize following House Oversight's initiation of investigation into sanctuary cities
Comer also sent his letter to mayors in New York City and Denver, in addition to those in Chicago and Boston.
TroibNews 
Democratic mayors in major U.S. cities are considering their next steps after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee initiated an investigation into their jurisdictions regarding immigration and requested that city leaders appear before Congress.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have not specified how they plan to address a letter from Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, sent Monday night, which asks for information related to their sanctuary city policies. Both mayors have not decided if they will travel to Washington next month to testify before the House. This suggests they are exploring legal and political avenues in light of President Donald Trump's recent claims about immigration.
“I’m standing with the full force of government today to demonstrate that Chicago is a welcoming city regardless of who’s in the White House,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stated on Tuesday, flanked by the police superintendent and his management team.
In addition to Boston and Chicago, Comer also reached out to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The letter is part of a broader initiative by the White House and Republicans to scrutinize sanctuary cities, which typically do not collaborate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, following Trump’s inauguration last week.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted operations in Chicago over the weekend. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security worked with the New York Police Department on Tuesday to execute a "targeted operation to arrest an individual linked to multiple violent crimes," according to a statement from Adams, who noted that New York “will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years.”
Contrasting Adams' stance, Johnson urged Trump to focus on enacting laws that enhance border security, accusing him of employing his initial immigration policies to “stoke fear” in urban communities.
"[Trump is] not doing that because he wants to stoke fear into people so that he can ultimately behave as the supreme existence, which is quite dangerous because you have a leader that believes they are supreme and above the law,” Johnson remarked. “There's some real messy history that demonstrates how damning that could be for the people of the planet.”
In Boston, Mayor Wu informed reporters that the city is “still reviewing the letter.” She added, “We follow the laws fully here in Boston. And at the city level, that means standing by our own municipal laws.”
“We're all experiencing a lot of the same sense of chaos and destabilization right now, whether it is the threat of federal funds that are legally obligated being pulled away, or the sense of fear that's being created in the communities,” she conveyed to the press. “At the local level, we're focused on getting our job done every day. Our job is the one that people rely on to get their kids to school, to get around the city.”
In his first week in office, Trump signed several executive orders designed to tighten immigration policies, including an initiative to reinterpret the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which currently provides citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have not specified how they plan to address a letter from Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, sent Monday night, which asks for information related to their sanctuary city policies. Both mayors have not decided if they will travel to Washington next month to testify before the House. This suggests they are exploring legal and political avenues in light of President Donald Trump's recent claims about immigration.
“I’m standing with the full force of government today to demonstrate that Chicago is a welcoming city regardless of who’s in the White House,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stated on Tuesday, flanked by the police superintendent and his management team.
In addition to Boston and Chicago, Comer also reached out to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The letter is part of a broader initiative by the White House and Republicans to scrutinize sanctuary cities, which typically do not collaborate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, following Trump’s inauguration last week.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted operations in Chicago over the weekend. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security worked with the New York Police Department on Tuesday to execute a "targeted operation to arrest an individual linked to multiple violent crimes," according to a statement from Adams, who noted that New York “will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years.”
Contrasting Adams' stance, Johnson urged Trump to focus on enacting laws that enhance border security, accusing him of employing his initial immigration policies to “stoke fear” in urban communities.
"[Trump is] not doing that because he wants to stoke fear into people so that he can ultimately behave as the supreme existence, which is quite dangerous because you have a leader that believes they are supreme and above the law,” Johnson remarked. “There's some real messy history that demonstrates how damning that could be for the people of the planet.”
In Boston, Mayor Wu informed reporters that the city is “still reviewing the letter.” She added, “We follow the laws fully here in Boston. And at the city level, that means standing by our own municipal laws.”
“We're all experiencing a lot of the same sense of chaos and destabilization right now, whether it is the threat of federal funds that are legally obligated being pulled away, or the sense of fear that's being created in the communities,” she conveyed to the press. “At the local level, we're focused on getting our job done every day. Our job is the one that people rely on to get their kids to school, to get around the city.”
In his first week in office, Trump signed several executive orders designed to tighten immigration policies, including an initiative to reinterpret the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which currently provides citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
