On March 5th, the Democratic mayors of New York, Chicago, Boston and Denver appeared before Congress to answer questions about their cities’ “sanctuary city” and “welcoming city” policies. These cities have laws on the books limiting cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement. Boston’s current “Trust Act” restricts local police from working for “immigration enforcement purposes,” specifically barring officers from arresting or detaining people solely on a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ever since he first took office, President Trump has taken aim at the hundreds of sanctuary cities across the country, saying in 2018 that they “put innocent Americans at the mercy of hardened criminals.” In the leadup to and at the start of his second term, his “border czar” Tom Homan has vocally opposed sanctuary city policies, particularly Boston’s. During an interview with NewsMax, he called out Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, saying she was “not very smart,” and threatened to withhold federal funding from the city. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this February, he issued an ominous warning: “I’m coming to Boston, I’m bringing hell with me.”
The hearing began with the mayors’ opening statements. Denver mayor Mike Johnston talked about the influx of over 40,000 migrants that his city faced in 2024, mentioning that crime had decreased, and the city had experienced a 17% drop in homicides. New York mayor Eric Adams argued that the lack of sanctuary policies can be detrimental to public safety: “If an undocumented individual witnesses a crime, but is afraid to call 911 for fear of being turned over to federal authorities, criminals will roam free.”
Other statements were similar, with the two other mayors reaffirming their cities’ status as sanctuaries, while also talking about crime decreases. Chicago’s Robbery Task Force led to a 25% drop in robberies, while Mayor Wu boasted the city’s status as the “Safest Major City in America.” Mayor Wu also ripped into Tom Homan for his prior remarks: “Shame on him for lying about my city, and for having the nerve to insult our police commissioner who has overseen the safest Boston in anyone’s lifetime.” The mayors of Chicago and Denver fought back against the “sanctuary city” label, instead identifying their jurisdictions as “welcoming.”
However, there was also harsh criticism of the cities’ recent actions, with committee chair Comer calling out “reckless sanctuary policies,” and threatening to withhold funding from the cities. He argued that they “prioritize criminal aliens over the American people,” also saying that immigration enforcement has to go out of their way to capture criminals released by sanctuary police forces. Rep. Clay Higgins told the mayors that they did not just have a duty to the citizens of their cities, but to the whole American public. “America is fed up with this betrayal of oath,” he went on to say, “and you’ll be held accountable.”
Overall, the meeting was fiery, with Republican legislators fiercely questioning—and sometimes arguing with—Democratic mayors. As immigration continues to be a major point of contention in American politics, the debate about sanctuary cities is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
This article also appears in our March 2025 print edition.
