Four Democratic mayors of major U.S. 'sanctuary cities' are set to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday, March 5, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against local immigration policies [1][2].

New York City's Eric Adams, Boston's Michelle Wu, Chicago's Brandon Johnson, and Denver's Mike Johnston will defend their cities' policies limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [1]. The hearing comes amid ongoing legal challenges from the Department of Justice against several sanctuary jurisdictions [3].

The cities have received significant numbers of migrants since 2022:

New York City: 231,000 arrivals, costing $7 billion [3]Chicago: Approximately 31,500 migrants [1]Denver: 42,911 arrivals, spending $72 million [1]Boston/Massachusetts: Estimated 54,000 new arrivals [1]

Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) criticized sanctuary policies as 'misguided and obstructionist,' claiming they hinder federal law enforcement efforts [1]. However, courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of most sanctuary laws [3].

The mayors are taking different approaches to federal cooperation. NYC's Adams has recently shown willingness to work with ICE, while Boston's Wu and Chicago's Johnson maintain stronger resistance to federal immigration enforcement [1][2]. Denver's Johnston seeks a middle ground, supporting immigrant communities while drawing the line at violent offenders [3].

The hearing occurs as Republicans pursue legislation to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities, while the DOJ advances legal challenges against sanctuary policies in multiple jurisdictions [1].