The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City faced a supervision committee of the House of Representatives during a box office audience on “Sanctuary cities” on Wednesday.
The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, the mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston, and the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, defended their actions on the application of immigration in their respective cities, since the Republicans in the committee accused them of growing the crime and preventing the actions of application of the law.

(LR) The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams ,, Mayor Denver, Michael Johnston, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have sworn during a Chamber Supervision Committee and a government reform hearing entitled “An audience with the mayors of the Sanctuary City” Washington, DC, on March 5, 2025.
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“The mayors here lead the so -called ‘Sanctuary Cities’, and let’s be clear, these policies only create sanctuary for criminals,” said President James Eat, Republican, in his opening comments.
“Today, Mayors Wu, Johnson, Johnston and Adams will be publicly responsible for their inability to follow the law and protect the US people.”

The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, testifies during a hearing of the Government Reform and Supervision Committee on the policies of the Sanctuary cities in the United States Capitol on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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The Sanctuary cities still enforce federal federal immigration laws, but the term often refers to a limited collaboration with the application of immigration and customs of the United States while promulgating policies that are more favorable for undocumented people.
The Democrats immediately criticized the Trump administration, arguing that the overreach of federal officials has led to illegal arrests and created fear in the communities.
“Republicans have brought before us the mayors of four main American cities to frame them as without law, because these cities have some limits on how intrusive and aggressively their own officials can carry out federal immigration operations and responsibilities,” said the classification member Gerry Connolly.
“Let’s be clear, the state and local laws with which Republicans take into account today comply with federal law. They do not obstruct the ice to carry out their functions, and are backed by evidence that show that they keep the safe people.”
Throughout the hearing, the mayors turned to defend their state, describing how they work with the police in arrests while creating policies that make their cities safer.
“As mayor, I do not control who enters or remains in our country, but I have to administer the population within our city,” said Adams, who said as mayor of New York City that he is working with the Trump administration in immigration aid. “To carry out this function without having a long -term negative branch, I must create an atmosphere that allows all residents respectful of the law, documented or not accessing vital services without fear of being delivered to federal authorities.”

The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, during an audience of the Government Reform Committee of the House of Representatives and the Hearing of the Government Reform Committee on the policies of the Sanctuary cities in the United States Capitol on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Wu said the Trump administration is making workers residents, who pay taxes and fear God who are afraid to live their lives. “
“A city that scared is not a safe city. A land governed by fear is not the land of the free,” Wu said.

The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, testifies during a hearing of the Government Reform and Supervision Committee on the policies of the Sanctuary cities in the United States Capitol on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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The Audience of the Committee on Wednesday occurs when the officials of the administration of President Donald Trump have increased their efforts to apply immigration with the attorney general PAM Bondi closing federal grants to the sanctuary cities and multiple “border” tsar threats that Tom Homan has issued towards these mayors if they refuse to comply.
On Tuesday, Bondi said the efforts to take energetic measures against the application of immigration would increase in Boston, citing a lack of WU effort to process undocumented immigrants.
“As a result of the mayor’s decision to stand on public security threats on the respectful citizens of the law, the Department of Justice will have no choice but to increase efforts in the city of Boston. The criminals will be prosecuted, illegal foreigners will be arrested and justice will be fulfilled,” Bondi published in X.