Is Mayor Brandon Johnson ready to defend Chicago's sanctuary city law to Congress?

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is prepared to defend Chicago's sanctuary city law when he goes before a congressional committee next Wednesday.

But a former congressman says Johnson may not be ready for the barrage of questions he will face.

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Johnson is likely to face a much more hostile environment when he testifies before Congress than when he takes reporters' questions, as he did Tuesday.

Former Congressman Luis Gutierrez took part in hundreds of committee hearings during his 26 years on Capitol Hill.

"I think the mayor is just too new and too ill-prepared to ready go into this circus, because that is what it is going to be," Gutierrez said.

But the mayor's team is preparing him for his moment in the spotlight, where he will be asked to defend Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance, which prevents police from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on immigration matters.

SEE ALSO | Cracks in a Sanctuary City: How immigration agents are making arrests based on local police data

"I'm going to show up for the people of Chicago, as I've always done, and I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I will certainly say that when I get there, who I am is who I will remain," Johnson said.

Johnson says he has reached out to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, as well as Congressman Danny Davis, seeking advice.

"This is about Chicago. This is not about Brandon Johnson. I am part of a long legacy of leaders in this city and this state that have stood up for working people, and that's essentially what I'm prepared to do on March 5," Johnson said.

"I don't know that Mayor Johnson is going to be able to get that message across, given that this is a circus that is set up and an ambush that, they're ready. I don't know if he's ready for that ambush," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez believes whatever Johnson says to Congress could be used against him and Chicago and could lead to federal funds being withheld.

Johnson admitted he does not quite know what to expect when he testifies next week. But one key advisor told ABC7 the goal is to mitigate any harm and not give congressional Republicans what they want.