(FreePressBeacon.com) – In a bold move to uphold federal immigration laws, GOP Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna announced criminal referrals against four Democrat mayors for their sanctuary city policies.
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Luna confronted the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York during a House Oversight Committee hearing, charging them with deliberately breaking federal law by harboring illegal aliens.
The Congresswoman made her intentions clear during the heated March 5 committee session, directly telling the Democrat mayors she would be referring them to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s DOJ for criminal investigation.
The referrals cite violations of Title 8, U.S. Code § 1324, which prohibits bringing in, harboring, and employing unauthorized aliens in the United States.
“I just referred the sanctuary city mayors to the Department of Justice for CRIMINAL investigations based on evidence from their own comments and policies, proving that they were breaking federal law,” Luna stated forcefully.
The congresswoman did not mince words about the seriousness of these violations, emphasizing that sanctuary policies directly undermine national security and the rule of law.
Throughout the hearing, Luna and other GOP members pressed the mayors on their defiance of federal immigration authorities.
When Denver Mayor Mike Johnston attempted to justify his city’s policies, Luna shot back with a blistering assessment: “You all speak about a broken immigration system, and yet here you guys are aiding and abetting in that entire process.”
The sanctuary policies in question specifically limit local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), essentially creating safe havens for illegal immigrants.
Moreover, Republican committee members countered that these policies violate both federal law and the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal laws take precedence over conflicting state and local laws.
The session grew tense when Mayor Johnston was pressed on his previous statements about defying President Trump’s planned mass deportation efforts.
Even though Luna’s criminal referrals do not guarantee DOJ action, they represent a significant escalation in the fight against sanctuary cities that have flouted immigration law for years.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) supported Luna’s stance, highlighting the dangerous consequences of sanctuary policies that have allowed criminal aliens to remain in American communities.
Johnston claimed his city has seen crime rates decrease despite the influx of migrants. Still, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan exposed the mayor’s policies by highlighting a recent incident where Denver released an alleged gang member instead of cooperating with ICE detainers.
Luna, who also serves on the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, concluded with a pointed but firm assessment of the Democrat mayors: “I do not think you guys are bad people, but I do think you are ideologically misled.”
With the referrals now headed to Attorney General Bondi’s office, these sanctuary city mayors may soon face real consequences for defying federal law.
I just referred the sanctuary city mayors to the Department of Justice for CRIMINAL investigations based on evidence from their own comments and policies, proving that they were breaking federal law.
Open borders ideologies hurt people on both sides. If you hold federal office… pic.twitter.com/wt2swTOnru
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) March 5, 2025
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