Since taking office, President Donald Trump and members of his administration, including Border Czar Tom Homan and Attorney General Pam Bondi, have put sanctuary city/state mayors and governors on notice that their continued defiance of federal law on the issue of illegal immigrants will not be tolerated.
To prove the point, a week after Trump’s inauguration, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent letters to four of those mayors: Boston’s Michelle Wu, Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, New York City’s Eric Adams, and Denver’s Mike Johnston. In the letter, he requested they appear before the committee to testify about their policies.
The goal of the hearing, Comer noted, was to assess if new legislation would be needed “to enhance border security and public safety.”
READ MORE: Sanctuary City Mayors in Hot Seat As House Oversight Committee’s James Comer Makes His Next Move
Johnson came into the hearing hot on the heels of finding out that he has what may be the lowest approval rating ever for a mayor of the Windy City (or anywhere else, for that matter), with only 6.6 percent of voters supporting him, as we previously reported, and with crime and border security ranking in the top five priorities:
Recent poll from @m3strat shows Mayor Brandon Johnson with an approval rating of less than 7%.
It also ranks crime, taxes, and cost of goods as top 3 challenges.
While the mayor’s approval rating may signal there’s “no way he gets re-elected,” this isn’t a time for apathy. pic.twitter.com/FY0yBqym6N
— Rise Chicago (@RiseChicagoOrg) February 24, 2025
So what does Johnson do upon beginning his testimony before the committee? He proceeds to make it worse for himself, and in the process, confirming exactly why he is likely to be Chicago’s next one-term mayor right behind Lori Lightfoot:
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson tries to justify his sanctuary city policies
“The city is also safer because of our welcoming city ordinance.”
This is exactly why Johnson has a 7% approval ratingpic.twitter.com/9kgxPmQ3dv
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) March 5, 2025
WATCH: Rep. James Comer repeatedly asks Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson if he will cooperate with ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens. Johnson repeatedly refuses to answer. pic.twitter.com/5unXCwsqVn
— Immigration Reform Law Institute (@IRLILaw) March 5, 2025
Regardless of what comes of this hearing, Johnson has an even bigger fight on his hands in the form of Bondi, who in early February announced a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois related to their sanctuary laws, with the lawsuit stating in part that:
“The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe.”
The full document can be read here (PDF).
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