Republicans in Congress took aim at four cities — often called “sanctuary cities” — over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement with a hearing Wednesday, as President Donald Trump presses ahead with his campaign of mass deportations. Mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York are set to appear Wednesday in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Sanctuary cities make us all less safe and are a public safety nightmare.
00:05That is why I launched an investigation into sanctuary cities and why these mayors are here
00:09today. We cannot let pro-criminal alien policies and obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to
00:16endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers.
00:21Today Republicans have hauled before us the mayors of four major American cities
00:27to frame them as lawless because those cities have some limits on how intrusively
00:33and aggressively their own officials can conduct federal immigration operations and responsibilities.
00:39Let's be clear, the state and local laws that Republicans have issue with today are in full
00:45compliance with federal law. They do not obstruct ICE from carrying out its duties and they are
00:53backed by evidence demonstrating that they keep people safe and safer in counties with laws that
00:58do not honor extrajudicial civil detainers and had significantly lower levels of violent crime
01:06than counties that have them. Americans expect us to do more than point fingers. They expect us to
01:11solve problems. So if Denver can find a way to put aside our ideological differences long enough to
01:16manage a crisis we didn't choose or create, it seems only fair to ask that the body that is
01:22actually charged with solving this national problem, this Congress, can finally commit to do the same.
01:28When there is trust between cities residents and the police, undocumented immigrants come forward
01:33to report crimes to local law enforcement and provide information that helps the police solve
01:38those crimes. And now I know there are myths about these laws but we must not let mischaracterizations
01:46and fear-mongering obscure the reality that Chicago's crime rates are trending down. We still
01:52have a long way to go but sensationalizing tragedy in the name of political expediency is not governing,
01:59it's grandstanding. Every violent crime is devastating but scapegoating entire communities
02:05is not only misleading, it is unjust and it is beneath us. So let me be clear, Chicago's
02:12Welcoming City Ordinance and our other laws and policies do not lead to more crime. They do not
02:17prevent cooperation with federal law enforcement on criminal matters and we do not harbor criminals.
02:23We arrest them often because of laws that allow residents to feel safe helping the police.
02:29Today, one in four Boston residents were born somewhere else. Most have jobs, many have kids,
02:36all of them chose this country as their home because like my mom and dad, they believe that
02:42here where you've been doesn't limit where you're going. The strength of your character has nothing
02:47to do with the color of your passport and how hard you work matters more than where you were born.
02:54That wherever you're from, if you pitch in, look out for your neighbors and cheer for the home team,
03:00you can build a better future here for the people you love. So to every one of my neighbors back in
03:06Boston, know this, you belong here. This is your home. Sabotaging local economies and obliterating
03:14communities will not restore public safety, it will make us poorer while increasing the crime
03:20rate and victimization rate for Americans. There is a better approach. We don't need chaos
03:28and disorder of illegal immigration or of mass deportation. Why don't people come legally?
03:35Because Congress has provided so few options for them to do so, not updating its laws in the last
03:42three and a half decades.