Debate over Chicago's sanctuary policies intensifies as federal lawmakers seek answers from Mayor Johnson
The Brief
Mayor Brandon Johnson will testify before the House Oversight Committee about Chicago's sanctuary city policies.
Local business owners and officials remain divided on the impact of these policies.
Federal officials claim sanctuary laws make enforcement difficult, while advocates say they improve public safety.
CHICAGO - Mayor Brandon Johnson is headed to Washington, D.C., this week to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding Chicago's sanctuary city policies.
The hearing is part of a broader effort by federal lawmakers to examine how these policies impact public safety and cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
What we know
Chicago's sanctuary city policy dates back to 1985 when then-Mayor Harold Washington enacted protections for undocumented residents, ensuring they could access city services without fear of deportation. The ordinance has since been updated by multiple mayors, including Johnson.
Under the city's current Welcoming City Ordinance, local law enforcement does not cooperate with federal immigration authorities in detaining individuals solely based on their immigration status. Some city leaders, including 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez, argue this policy endangers public safety by limiting law enforcement's ability to share information about criminal suspects with federal immigration agents.
On the other side, advocates like Ed Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois argue that sanctuary laws build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. Yohnka says that when undocumented residents feel safe reporting crimes, it ultimately makes communities safer.
What they're saying
"We may be immigrants, but we are working immigrants that bring money into our community and money into our state," said Laura Gutierrez-Ramos, owner of Nuevo Leon Restaurant in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood.
She says her business has suffered as customers have chosen to stay inside their homes out of fear of increased immigration enforcement.
"Police should be able to ask someone's immigration status and share that information if they're engaging in dangerous criminal activity," said Ald. Lopez, who has proposed modifying the Welcoming City Ordinance to allow more cooperation with federal authorities.
ICE officials, including President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan, argue that Chicago's sanctuary policies have made it harder to detain individuals who pose public safety threats.
"We've arrested people with assault allegations, extreme sexual assault," Homan said. "These are all bad people."
What's next
The House Oversight Committee is expected to press Johnson and other mayors on the consequences of their sanctuary city policies.
The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, is being promoted by committee leaders with a dramatic, Hollywood-style preview.
Meanwhile, business owners like Gutierrez-Ramos hope the political debate leads to real solutions.
"I think we should all have compassion at heart. I wish the hatred would be sowed into compassion and move this city and country forward," she said.
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