Mayor still not committed to testifying on Chicago's Sanctuary City Law in front of Congress

During news conference Tuesday, Johnson also touched on gifts received, Bears stadium

Craig Wall Image
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Chicago mayor still not committed to testifying in front of Congress
Mayor Brandon Johnson is still not committed to testifying on Chicago's Sanctuary City Law in front of Congress in Washington, D.C.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is setting up a potential showdown with Congress over Chicago's Sanctuary City Law.

Johnson was invited to testify before a congressional committee next week, but, as of Tuesday, he was still not committed to going.

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The House Oversight committee said they were expecting an answer from the mayor's office by close of business Tuesday.

But, during a semi-regular weekly news conference Tuesday, the mayor's team made it sound like they were still negotiating terms of the mayor's testimony.

"Well, as I was saying, as our corporate counsel has indicated, there are ongoing conversations. This is not just simply about testimony there are, look at the entire scope," Johnson said.

A week ago, the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Johnson, requesting he appear in-person and testify about Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance, which the committee labeled as a "misguided and obstructionist" policy.

The committee also demanded copies of communications last month between city officials and various agencies about the sanctuary law.

At issue is the prohibition of law enforcement cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working to arrest and detain those living in the U.S. without legal permission.

"They have requested a host of documents. We'll be discussing with them specifically issues around what it is that they requested of us, and we don't anticipate being obstructionists in any way," Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said.

Johnson took questions on several issues including President Trump's deportation efforts.

He didn't have any new numbers on how many people have been arrested in Chicago.

He also talked about President Donald Trump's series of executive orders.

"His threats are real," Johnson said. "I'm going to continue to stand up for working people in this country. We're going to lead the way in the city of Chicago. So, every single executive order we see it as a threat, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that working people are defended in this city."

Meanwhile, the mayor is promising to provide transparency about the so-called "gift closet" in his office, where presents to the city, including some high-end items, are stored. He said it's a storage room he's never seen.

"It's not my closet. It's a locker inventory room where gifts are received but not accepted. I don't accept these, these gifts. They're received," Johnson said.

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The administration promised to release video of what's in the locker and a log of the contents.

"To make it available for the public to see, with the video, of the space, so that everyone has access to see the kind of things that are received by every mayor," Richardson-Lowry said.

That is expected to happen next week.

The mayor was also asked about efforts to keep the Chicago Bears in the city.

He said talks on a new stadium along the lakefront are ongoing, and that so far no plan has been presented for a possible stadium at the old Michael Reese site.

The corporation counsel said they are hopeful a deal can be worked out.

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