As Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson prepares to testify on Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers are setting the stage for what could be a contentious hearing, as Mary Ann Ahern explains.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will testify about the city’s sanctuary city status next week on Capitol Hill before a Republican-led House committee.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is led by Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, released a new video on Wednesday setting up what’s likely to be a divisive hearing. The video features news clips and sound bites from Johnson along with the mayors of New York, Boston and Denver, who will also attend the hearing.
In January, Comer launched an investigation into the cities’ sanctuary city policies and what he has called their “refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
“State and local governments that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts should not receive a penny of federal funding,” Comer said in a statement. “On March 5, the House Oversight Committee will hold sanctuary mayors publicly accountable for refusing to abide by the law and placing Americans’ lives at risk.”
Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against both Chicago and Illinois, alleging the state's and city's immigration policies and welcoming city status impede federal regulations.
Johnson said he’s spoken with elected officials, faith leaders and other stakeholders ahead of the hearing. He said he’s reached out to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for their thoughts as he prepares.
“I’m going to be prepared to defend working people in this city and challenge Congress to do their job. They could pass (immigration reform) laws right now. Instead of picking fights right now, we should be finding solutions,” Johnson said.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois has a warning for Johnson.
“The mayor is likely to face some of the harshest criticism of anybody on that panel and is likely to have a number of cheap shots taken at him,” said Ed Yohnka, the director of communications and public policy with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
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Alderman Andre Vasquez, who represents the city’s 40th ward, said Wednesday he reached out to the mayor to offer advice but has not heard back.
“You have to make sure that you're prepped and ready because when the spotlights are on and the congressmen don't really care that you're a mayor, those questions are going be harder, and they can be used in court or for litigation later,” Vasquez said.
Yohnka offered his own suggestions for the mayor during the hearing next week.
“I’d talk about the larger Democratic issues and democracy issues. I’d talk about the fact that we don’t let the president of the United States be the mayor of Chicago. We don’t let the president declare that Illinois simply should ignore or repeal its laws,” Yohnka said.
