Mr. Johnston goes to Washington, and now faces jail for Denver’s unconstitutional sanctuary laws

Mar 5, 2025

Mayor Mike Johnston had an answer for everything during Wednesday’s congressional oversight hearing on Denver’s sanctuary city laws.

Unfortunately, it was to questions he was never asked, and that only served to anger an already frustrated Congress working to plug the holes of the Biden era mass migration system that has cost this country billions and crippled an already struggling immigration system.

Under the watchful eyes of high-priced lawyers paid upwards of $2 million to cover Johnston’s rear for this hearing, the mayor insisted under oath he’s not violating the law by refusing full cooperation with federal ICE agents to turn over migrants already in police custody.

All four mayors admitted to hiring lawyers before their appearance, which will be useful because a congresswoman from Florida promptly reported them to the Justice Department after the hearing for breaking with federal law.

Three laws in fact. And when Johnston and other mayors from New York City, Chicago, and Boston were asked about the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution that requires states to follow federal law, they feigned ignorance.

Constitution? What’s that?

The entire hearing was an embarrassment of riches for these leaders of major U.S. cities.

The highlight of the six-hour hearing was when U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan called out Johnston for lying when he insisted that Denver police honored immigration requests to take custody of violent criminals in a reasonable manner.

Jordan had all the details of the dangerous situation that resulted in a law enforcement officer and the prisoner getting injured as a result of Denver’s sanctuary law.

It was the best five minutes on C-SPAN this session.

Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank of Colorado Springs finally got a chance to follow up several hours later and pushed Johnston to fix the city’s policies that resulted in those injuries and puts the public at risk of harm.

Asked repeatedly if he would allow for the safe transfer of prisoners inside the jail between officers, instead of turning them loose in the parking lot in the hopes ICE can’t catch them, Johnston refused to budge.

The best Johnston offered was to meet with ICE about Denver’s dangerous practice.

Johnston and other mayors went on to make the ridiculous claims that crime in their cities magically decreased when Biden’s border busters rolled into town, as if their mere presence had supernaturally soothed the souls of criminals everywhere.

Johnston of course was handpicking a few specific statistics while ignoring others.

The committee wasn’t fooled when Johnston and other mayors insisted migrants not only reduce crime, but don’t commit as many crimes as U.S. citizens.

Republicans pointed out that when cities have policies that prohibit police from asking a suspected criminal in custody about their immigration status, they have no earthly idea what the actual migrant crime statistics are.

Johnson insisted several times his sanctuary city was following the law when it comes to crime and illegal migration, but which laws? Colorado and Denver’s sanctuary city laws? Or conflicting federal immigration laws?

The upshot is, Johnston and the other mayors can expect the Justice Department to pursue charges against them for failing to follow federal laws.

The committee would also be right as well to pursue charges against the mayors for perjuring themselves under oath.

Submit a Comment