Unclear if mayor will go to Washington to testify next month
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The federal government is stepping up its recent immigration sweeps across the country with sanctuary cities like Chicago being heavily targeted.
At a press conference alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson, CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said at least 100 people have been arrested in the Chicago area as part of the immigration crackdown.
At the press conference, Mayor Johnson reaffirmed Chicago's status as a welcoming city.
"Regardless of who is in the White House, Chicago is a city that opens its arms to people from around the globe," Mayor Johnson said. "We will continue to protect civil and human rights, and we welcome all individuals and families who want to work, live and thrive here in our beloved city. The Welcoming City Ordinance is a law, and it is the law of the land here in Chicago. We will uphold it, along with the complementary Illinois Trust Act to ensure that our immigrant communities are safe."
Johnson said city agencies are in communication with businesses, schools, hospitals, houses of worship and community organizations across the city.
Superintendent Snelling also spoke about the information they have received from immigration officials.
"Communication is there, and my focus is to stay in direct contact with them, so that we know what is going on at all times in our city," Snelling said.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee Chair sent a letter to Johnson, calling on him to testify. The committee is investigating sanctuary city policies and impacts on federal authorities' ability to make arrests.
"Sanctuary jurisdictions and their misguided and obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe," the letter said.
The mayor deferred questions to his corporation counsel.
"We did receive an invitation from the Oversight Committee, and it is under legal review. So, we are not able to respond directly to your question in terms of whether he will go," Chicago Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said. "It would be premature to talk about going until such time that we properly digested all the legal issues."
The mayors of New York City, Denver and Boston are also being invited to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee with regards to sanctuary city policies.
This comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested at least 1,179 people nationwide on Monday.
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Chicago and the surrounding suburbs have become prime targets for ICE agents looking for violent criminals in the country illegally.
Snelling confirmed that federal law enforcement is notifying police of the general area of their operations, but nothing specific, and often on a time delay.
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"What I can tell you right now is that we don't have an exact number of Chicago people who have been detained, but what I can tell you is that the number in the Chicagoland area exceeds 100," Snelling said. "We have not seen federal agents running through Chicago, looking for children, going to work locations and grabbing people."
City leaders say they will continue to spread the word to residents living in Chicago without legal permission about their rights in many ways, including the campaign at CTA stations. The mayor is trying to calm the fears that many families are experiencing.
"We're here to reassure them that they can go and send their children to school; they should go to work. Again, what this administration is attempting to do? He's attempting to get us to surrender our humanity. We're not going to do that in Chicago," Johnson said.
Superintendent Snelling made it clear that while his officers cannot assist ICE under the Welcoming City ordinance, they also will not obstruct their efforts.
The mayor emphasized immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.
"There's a federal law that clearly states: If you are undocumented, and you are convicted of a crime, you are subject to deportation. That's the law. I fully expect federal government to uphold that law," Johnson said.
The mayor, who never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, called his first week in office misguided, even though Trump promised mass deportations if elected.
"What's clear from this administration is that they do not have the full pulse or the breadth of what people in America are calling for," Johnson said.
It is unclear if the mayor will go to Washington to testify on Capitol Hill on Feb. 11. The letter he received was an invitation, meaning it was a request.
But, a spokeswoman for the committee said the chairman expects all invited mayors to testify, and will evaluate his options to compel testimony if necessary. That includes the power to subpoena.