Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson testifies in front of House committee

WASHINGTON - Brandon Johnson testified before Congress today regarding Chicago's sanctuary city policies.

Johnson and three other mayors from Boston, Denver and New York started speaking before the House Oversight Committee at 9 a.m. CST and ended around 3 p.m.

They faced grilling from federal lawmakers looking to determine the consequences of sanctuary city policies.

Live updates: Sanctuary city hearing

Former CPD head reacts: Gary McCarthy, who served as the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, also gave his reaction to Johnson's testimony.

McCarthy served as the head of CPD from 2011 to 2015 under Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He now serves as the police chief in suburban Willow Springs.

In response to Republican claims that Chicago is harboring undocumented immigrants who committed crimes, McCarthy said, "I don't really disagree."

He said Johnson relies on talking points and has hurt Black and brown communities by taking away Shotspotter, the gunshot detection technology.

McCarthy said it was "astounding" to him that the city wouldn't cooperate with federal law enforcement.

"I think that we should be a welcoming country, but by the same token there are processes that you should be going through to become a citizen here and to stay in our country," he said.

Lori Lightfoot reacts: Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized the hearings as a "sideshow."

Lightfoot, who lost reelection to Johnson in the mayoral primary in 2023, reportedly helped her successor prepare for the hearing. The trained attorney told Fox 32 that she approached it like she was preparing a witness.

"What was clear before and was on full display during the performance masquerading as a serious Congressional hearing, is that Republicans are desperate to create a sideshow so that the American public doesn't know the truth. 

She added, "The truth is the Republicans have no solutions for inflation. They plan to cut critical services like Medicaid, access to affordable health care, housing, substance addiction support, critical scientific research, infrastructure support—all sorts of disastrous policies that will hurt working families and cause widespread hardship across our land. And in the sideshow, following the lead of President Trump, there is no lie they won't tell, no truth they will not distort. 

"Cities fuel the economy. They are the source of innovation, and of course, home to millions. When you attack cities, you attack America. It is stupid and misguided, but such is the current MAGA Republicans. Hats off to the mayors for standing their grounds and representing their cities well in the face of an onslaught of total nonsense from Republicans."

3:20 p.m. - Johnson spoke to a group of reporters after the conclusion of the hearing.

When asked how he thought he performed during the hearing, Johnson said, "It's a lot easier to speak to the values of our city when you believe in them."

He added, "I will say this, being a middle school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools certainly prepares you for this committee," a reference to his career as a public school teacher at Jenner Academy in Cabrini-Green and Westinghouse College Prep on the city's West Side.

Johnson was also asked about the at times personal nature of the attacks from some Republican members during the hearing.

"You know, I don't take this stuff personal," he said. "I was elected to represent the people of Chicago and that's what I do."

3 p.m. - The hearing ended and the committee adjourned after six hours of questioning and testimony.

Chairman James Comer (R-Kentucky) thanked the mayors for their testimony and said, "Believe it or not, this is the best behaved this committee's been all Congress."

2:35 p.m. - Downstate Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) went after Johnson, pointing to crime, the city’s significant budget, and the mayor's abysmal approval rating, according to recent polling.

The Republican congressman accused Johnson of putting the interests of undocumented immigrants above the interests of Chicago residents. He also pointed to violent crime, comparing them to other large cities.

While Johnson correctly noted that violent crime has been decreasing, LaHood then cited a poll that showed a little over 6% of Chicago residents had a positive opinion of his leadership.

"Your approval rating speaks volumes," LaHood said.

Johnson pointed to the city's investments in housing and economic development aimed at Black residents, job programs and opening of mental health facilities. Still, he tried to make a plea for more federal funding.

"We could use your help to actually continue to invest in these programs that continue to drive violence down in the City of Chicago," Johnson said.

RELATED: Nearly 80% of Chicagoans disapprove of Mayor Brandon Johnson, new poll finds

2:30 p.m. - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) also questioned the mayors, including Johnson, about their sanctuary policies.

"Will you stop harboring illegal aliens?" Greene asked.

"The City of Chicago, we do not harbor criminals," Johnson replied. "We do not harbor undocumented individuals. We comply with all laws."

Watch the full exchange here:

More context: Johnson said during today's meeting that under his leadership, crime has gone down in the City of Chicago.

According to the latest data from the Chicago Police Department, shootings and homicides have been on the decline during Johnson's tenure.

But those data also show that violent crime had been falling in Chicago even before Johnson took office in May 2023.

In fact, since crime spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic around the country, crime rates overall have been on the decline, according to federal data.

2:15 p.m. - Rep. Brian Jack (R-Georgia) asked Mayor Johnson whether he thought there was a benefit to asking someone charged with a crime if they were a citizen of the country.

"The benefit of community safety is trust between local residents and law enforcement and that relationship is critical to driving violence down. Under my leadership, violence has gone down in the City of Chicago," Johnson responded.

Jack asked Johnson if he's ever fired a police officer for asking about someone's immigration status or if the city has directed the Chicago Police Department to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

"Local law enforcement in the City of Chicago, they do not dub as federal agents," Johnson answered.

The mayor added, "We remind people of what the Welcoming City ordnance entails," a reference to the city's policy of limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration officials.

RELATED: Chicago is considered a ‘sanctuary city,’ but what does that mean?

1:45 p.m. - The committee is back with questioning from Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a rising progressive star in Congress.

1:25 p.m. - The committee is taking another 15-minute break.

1:15 p.m. - From Fox 32's Paris Schutz: "Interesting note: most congress members have drifted in and out of meeting. Some coming in for their 5 minutes of the spotlight and then immediately leaving. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and Presley have been here the entire time."

1:00 p.m. - Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) grills Johnson over his office's failure to publicly report gifts, including designer handbags and jewelry, accepted on behalf of the city.

Gill questioned Johnson on the so-called "gift room" at the center of the issue, but Johnson pushed back.

"Those are not my personal gifts," Johnson said. "Those are the gifts of the City of Chicago and that's why you're aware that they exist."

The city's Office of Inspector General criticized Johnson's office, saying it failed to respond in a timely manner to a request for information under a public records law. 

The OIG said the gifts accepted on behalf of the city should be reported to the Board of Ethics and the city comptroller. Those reports are required to be made public. Gifts accepted by the mayor's office were instead logged in a book that would be available for public viewing on the fifth floor of City Hall.

Watch the exchange here:

12:48 p.m.

The Department of Justice announced the lawsuit against Illinois, Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker, Johnson and others in early February, arguing that their immigration policies interfere with federal enforcement efforts.

The lawsuit filed by the United States seeks to block Illinois and its local governments from enforcing several state and local laws—including the Way Forward Act, TRUST Act, Welcoming City Act, and a Cook County ordinance—that the Trump Administration claims interferes with federal immigration enforcement and violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The complaint states that Illinois, Chicago and Cook County have put laws in place that intentionally block the federal government from enforcing immigration laws and make it harder for federal, state, and local law enforcement to work together. 

Tap here to learn more about the lawsuit.

12:37 p.m. - Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) went back-and-forth with Johnson over how much Chicago has spent on "illegal immigration" over the last five years.

Johnson reverted to his original answer of 1 percent of the city's overall budget. When asked exactly how much that was, Johnson did not have an answer.

"If you don't have a hard number, you're not running your city," Donalds replied, also adding. "No wonder you're a bad mayor."

12:28 p.m. - New York City Mayor Adams pressed repeatedly on whether he ever discussed his federal criminal case with Trump, refused to answer. "The case is in the hands of" the federal judge.

12:09 p.m. - Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) asked each mayor to answer "yes" or "no" on whether they acknowledge if breaking into the United States is a crime.

When she got to Brandon Johnson, the mayor started to answer: "Any individual that causes harm or breaks the law should be held accountable."

Mace cut him off and took a dig at his historically low approval rating. 

"This is why you have a 6% approval rating, because you suck at answering questions," Mace said.

A poll released in late February by M3 strategies showed nearly 80% of respondents disapproved of Johnson's record. With 6.6% of the 700 respondents saying they viewed him favorably.

12 p.m. - Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) goes after the definition of a "sanctuary city" and criticizes the mayors for failing to fully cooperate with federal law enforcement.

11:48 a.m. - In one of the last questions before the recess, Brandon Johnson was asked how he has addressed limiting violence in Chicago.

11:28 a.m. - The committee is now in a 20-minute recess. The hearing should resume before noon.

11:20 a.m. - Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) opens his line of questioning by asking Mayor Brandon Johnson what measures his office has taken to address the root cause of violence in Chicago.

"First of all, it's great that violence is down in the city of Chicago and it has gone down since I've been in office as a result of a couple of measures. One, we've reopened three mental health clinics because we do know that mental health issues, and we are in a very severe mental health crisis. We've also increased the number of youth employment. We have hired almost 28,000 young people for last summer. This year we have an opportunity to hire up to 29,000 young people. We've also built more homes. Just last year, we've appropriated $11 billion, 37,000 construction jobs in the works for almost 10,000 more affordable units and we have promoted and hired 200 detectives to increase trust between community and law enforcement to solve the crimes that do occur in our city."

11:15 a.m. - Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) accuses the panel of mayors of violating their oath of office by declaring their cities as "sanctuary cities."

"If it were up to me, I mean I'd be considering referring charges. 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," Palmer said as he closed his line of questioning.

11:06 a.m. - Texas Rep. Michael Cloud grills each mayor on how much FEMA dollars have been spent on hotel room for migrants in their respective cities, before asking them whether they understand that it's against the law to "harbor criminal aliens."

Brandon Johnson responds, "The city of Chicago does not harbor criminals."

11:05 a.m. - 

11 a.m. - California Democrat Mike Garcia starts laying into NYC Mayor Eric Adams. 

"We have a right to know if the Trump administration has coerced you into agreeing to anything," Garcia said.

"There's no deal, no quid pro quo. I did nothing wrong," Adams said.

Garcia called for Adams to step down from his position.

"I agree with the majority of New Yorkers and think you should resign. You should do the right thing and step down today," Garcia said.

10:56 a.m. 

10:42 a.m. - Johnson said Chicago has spent roughly 1% of its budget on undocumented residents or asylum seekers.

GOP members of the committee are repeatedly incorrectly mixing up "asylum seekers" with "illegal aliens." Indeed, asylum seekers have temporary legal status in the U.S.

10:33 a.m. - Rep. Scott Perry asks about 52,000 "illegals" coming to Chicago. 

Johnson corrects him and says they were asylum seekers that were "bused to us from Texas Governor Gregg Abbot without any coordination."

Check out their interaction below:

10:27 a.m.

10:24 a.m.

10:09 a.m. - While Oversight Committee Republicans have highlighted victims of crime at the hands of undocumented immigrants, the four mayors on the panel sought to make the point that there is no connection between crime and sanctuary cities. In fact, crime has dropped in all four cities over the last five years, in the case of Boston, the homicide rate is the lowest in 70 years, according to that city’s mayor Michelle Wu.

"The proposition that immigrants cause crime is patently false," Connolly said. "The idea that sanctuary cities need to be punished is simply a war on urban America."

The tensest exchange of the day came between Chairman James Comer (R, KY) and Mayor Johnson when Comer repeatedly asked him if Chicago police would turn over undocumented residents accused of crimes over to immigration authorities.

"With a warrant…." Johnson started to answer.

"Yes or no," Comer interjected.

All mayors made the point that local officials do cooperate with immigration officials when ICE or Homeland Security agents have obtained a proper criminal warrant signed by a judge.

"We are ready to partner with you on the measures that promote trust and sustain public safety," Johnson told the committee.

Meanwhile, the fifth witness on the panel, Cato Institute representative David Bier, said that Trump’s deportation policies were actually threatening to make cities less safe.

9:56 a.m. 

9:50 a.m. - Tense exchange between Chair Comer and Johnson: "Will you turn a criminal over to ICE?" 

"With a criminal warrant, we cooperate with federal government," Johnson said.

9:46 a.m. - The panel's 5th witness is a member of the libertarian Cato Institute, who is ripping Trump's mass deportation plans as indiscriminate and leading to more crime. "We don't need chaos and disorder...why don't people come legally? Because congress has provided so few options."

The opening statements have ended and questioning has opened.

9:38 a.m. - Chicago lags behind but NYC, Boston, and Denver are relatively some of the safest cities in America on a per capita basis. Nationwide, homicide rates have been plummeting since reaching disturbing highs during the COVID crisis.

9:35 a.m. - "Chicago's welcoming city ordinance do not lead to more crime...we do not harbor criminals, we arrest them, often because of laws that allow residents to come forward and cooperate with police," Johnson said.

9:33 a.m.

9:31 a.m. - Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers his opening statement.

"Chicago is and always has been a proud city of immigrants...generations of arrivals including the descendants of slaves created a vibrant city where 1 in 5 residents is foreign born," Johnson said.

9:28 a.m.

9:22 a.m. - Adams begins his opening statement: "A sanctuary city classification does not mean our city will be a safe haven for criminals. Law-abiding immigrants in New York have an important role. Immigrant New Yorkers pay billions of dollars in taxes and contribute billions more in spending power."

"As mayor, I don't control who enters our country, but I do have to manage the population that is in our city."

"I have seen firsthand the damage someone can be done when someone is too afraid to seek out the police."

"I cannot have a city where parents are afraid to send their children to school...if an undocumented person refuses to seek medical care until they have a medical emergency, our city's healthcare services will be strained," Adams said.

9:20 a.m. 

9:12 a.m. - Ranking Democratic member, Gerry Connolly of Massachusetts argued that sanctuary policies were fully legal, and federal efforts to punish them are unconstitutional.

"Let's be clear, the state and local laws Republicans have issue with are in full compliance with federal law," Connolly said. "They do not obstruct ICE from carrying out its duties."

9:11 a.m. - Democrat Gerry Connolly hits NYC Mayor Eric Adams, saying President Trump has cut a deal to drop his federal charges to uphold Trump's immigration policies.

"To deny sovereignty is an assault on every city across the country," Connolly said.

9:07 a.m. - "Congress must not allow a single penny to cities and states that employ sanctuary city policies," Comer said.

9:05 a.m. - House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) begins hearing attacking Joe Biden: "Biden caused the worst crisis at the border in American history...under President Trump the world knows there are consequences to unlawful entry into the United States."

9:03 a.m. - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has arrived with Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry.

8:55 a.m. - The room is slowly filling up. Several high-profile Illinois politicians are present to show support for Johnson.

8:26 a.m. - Chicago FOP President John Catanzara is in attendance.

8:18 a.m. - The hearing will feature opening statements from all four mayors and will likely last 6-plus hours.

8:15 a.m. - Johnson sought advice from former Chicago mayors Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot in the days leading up to the hearing. FOX 32's Paris Schutz said the advice Johnson has been given is don't take the bait, stay calm and don't go on the offensive during lawmakers' questioning.

8 a.m. - We are one hour out from the start of the House Oversight Committee hearing. It is not immediately clear in what order the mayors will be called to testify.

7:48 a.m. - Deirdre Schifeling, chief Political and Advocacy Officer for the ACLU, warned about a bill floating in Congress that would defund sanctuary cities.

"Forcing law enforcement to neglect responsibilities and play the role of immigration agents is not common sense," Schifeling said.

7:35 a.m. - U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents Illinois' 3rd District, kicked off a pre-hearing press conference supporting sanctuary cities.

"Strong, multicultural, multi-racial communities are a threat to this administration and today's Republican Party. Cities like Chicago that prove that diversity, that equity and inclusion actually make America great," Ramirez said.

Brandon Johnson's invite to D.C.

The backstory:

In January, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a formal letter to City Hall, requesting Johnson’s participation in a public hearing on Capitol Hill.

The letter cited concerns about the impact of sanctuary policies in Chicago and three other cities—New York, Boston, and Denver. It claimed such policies fail to comply with federal law and suggested, "Citizens of all four cities have suffered due to sanctuary policies."

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has previously condemned sanctuary cities.

"Sanctuary mayors owe the American people an explanation for city policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets," Comer said in a statement. "These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across our nation have led to too many preventable tragedies. They also endanger ICE agents who are forced to take more difficult enforcement actions in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities."

Johnson defends Chicago's sanctuary status

What they're saying:

Johnson, when asked how he planned to handle Wednesday’s hearing, said he would respond to "individuals who don’t share our values."

He highlighted the city's response to the migrant crisis, which stretched local resources as officials worked to house and care for asylum-seeking families.

Johnson acknowledged uncertainty about the hearing's direction but reiterated Chicago’s commitment to its values. 

"Our country is under attack from within our country," Johnson said. "There are individuals that are playing on people’s fears and living in this hyperbolic space that, quite frankly, is not healthy, and it’s unfortunate that we have an administration that is as incorrigible as it is, but we’re gonna hold to our values."

Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance

Dig deeper:

Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance stops city agencies and employees from getting involved in civil immigration enforcement or helping federal authorities with such efforts.

The ordinance outlines specific restrictions, including the following:

• Agencies and agents cannot stop, arrest or detain individuals based solely on their immigration status or an administrative warrant, such as those found in the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents cannot access detainees or use city facilities for investigative purposes.
• City employees are restricted from spending time responding to ICE inquiries about a person’s custody status, release date, or contact information unless it is to determine whether a situation involves solely civil immigration violations.
• Agencies are barred from entering agreements under federal law that allow local entities to enforce federal civil immigration law.
• The transfer of individuals into ICE custody for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement is prohibited.
• City resources cannot be used to assist civil immigration operations, such as setting up traffic perimeters or providing on-site support.

CPD has to follow certain protocols when ICE or other federal agencies ask for help.

Supervisors are responsible for figuring out if the request is about civil immigration enforcement. If it is, they have to decline the request and notify the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

Chicago also has rules in place to limit how city agencies handle information about people’s immigration or citizenship status.

For example, agencies can’t ask for, keep, or share this information unless federal law, a court order, or a warrant says they have to. There are some exceptions, like if someone gives written permission or if the city’s legal team needs it for certain legal matters.

Also, applications and forms for city services can’t ask about someone’s citizenship or immigration status. Departments need to check and update these forms every year to make sure they’re following the rules.

Finally, federal agencies can’t access city databases or data-sharing platforms if they’re trying to enforce civil immigration laws.

Brandon JohnsonMigrants in ChicagoChicagoU.S. House