Caption by Ashmar Mandou

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on Wednesday he will travel to Washington, D.C., next Month to testify at the congressional hearing on Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent letters Johnson and the mayors for three other major cities – Boston, Denver, and New York – last week, asking them to testify before the committee and hand over all documents and communications related to their city’s sanctuary policies. “We thank Committee members for the upcoming conversation on this important issue, and for the opportunity for Mayor Johnson to represent Chicago alongside Mayors from Boston, Denver, and New York,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. The hearing is set for March 5th. Johnson has defended Chicago’s sanctuary city policies, saying that both the local Welcoming City Ordinance and a state law known as the Illinois TRUST Act, which provide protections for undocumented immigrants, are the “law of the land.”

Photo Credit: Associated Press