Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has decided to testify before a congressional committee next month after its members asked him to travel to Washington, D.C., to explain the city’s policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“For the last two years, Denver has shown the country that you can be a compassionate and welcoming city without sacrificing public safety or core services,” said Jordan Fuja, the mayor’s spokesperson. “We look forward to discussing with the committee.”
Johnston’s announcement that he will testify came the same day as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, carried out raids across Denver and Aurora.
The U.S. House’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent Johnston a letter last week identifying Denver as one of four cities that “stand out in their abject failure to comply with federal law.” The other cities, which also received requests to testify, are Chicago, New York City and Boston. All three of those cities’ mayors agreed to speak to the committee.
While the committee initially asked Johnston to appear on Feb. 11, the hearing will now happen March 5.
The committee also requested city documents and communications meeting certain criteria, going back to Jan. 1, 2024, regarding the city’s “sanctuary status.” The mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether it would provide the documents.
The House committee is investigating cities’ cooperation policies as President Donald Trump begins his crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump also has threatened to withhold federal dollars from cities that don’t work with ICE.
In the late-January letter, the committee referred to Denver as a “sanctuary city.” While the city has never adopted a policy declaring such a status, the City Council has adopted a proclamation declaring the city as “welcoming and inclusive of all people,” and the city has policies limiting cooperation — as does the state.
Johnston has said the city’s police officers will collaborate with the federal government on targeting violent criminals, but they won’t “do ICE’s job for them.”
“Our police department has their own assignments. Federal immigration enforcement is not their job,” Johnston said during a news conference in January.
The city opposes ICE operations at hospitals, churches and schools and has promised to pursue legal action if the federal government pursues raids at those places.
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