Lauren Boebert Slams Denver Mayor For Law Preventing City Employees From Talking To Immigration Authorities

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert got in a heated exchange with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston at a hearing where GOP lawmakers are grilling Democratic mayors of large cities over sanctuary city policies. Concretely, the argument revolved around what she described as a city ordinance preventing city employees from talking to law enforcement officials unless they present a warrant.

After asking if employees would be fired for talking with "anyone from the EPA" or "Health and Human Services," she asserted that they would "only be fired for talking to federal law enforcement officers."

Johnston said the information was incorrect and that officials do coordinate with law enforcement after a warrant is issued. Boebert rejected the argument, saying "there are issues happening before warrants are issued and local law enforcement officers are unable to coordinate." The exchange continued with both officials sticking to their argument until Boebert claimed the ordinance needs to be repealed.

Rep. Jim Jordan also criticized Johnston, claiming that a member of the Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua who was recently released from county jail assaulted an officer due to policies implemented by the city.

Jordan recalled that the migrant was set to be released and city officials gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement little notice to apprehend him, leading the agency to send multiple officials and getting into an altercation that ended with an injury.

"An officer got assaulted because of your policy which says we're going to release him to the streets. They have to arrest him in the parking lot, they bring six officers when they could have had one or two." Johnston again rejected the argument, saying that it was a one-off event and that any policy that needed adjustment would be addressed.

House Republicans are accusing the mayors of Boston, New York, Denver and Chicago of thwarting President Trump's enforcement efforts and putting their residents in harm's way, while the mayors detailed how thousands of asylum seekers had arrived in their cities in recent years, desperate for food and shelter— and how the cities dealt with them. All four mayors said crime rates in their cities were dropping, in spite of the Trump administration's claims that migrants make cities unsafe.

Other passages of the hearing featured heated exchange. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu heavily criticized border czar Tom Homan, accusing him of "lying about my city." She was making reference to statements from Homan about "bringing hell" to Boston if authorities didn't fully comply with the administration's immigration crackdown. "Bring him here under oath and let's ask him some questions," Wu said.