Mayor Brandon Johnson will testify before Congress next month in a Republican-led hearing on sanctuary cities, his office announced Wednesday. Last month, Oversight Committee chair U.S. Rep James Comer,

Johnson and three other big-city mayors, all Democrats, will attend the March 5 hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating how local policies affect enforcement of President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations.

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, alleging that sanctuary status is obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Charlie De Mar reports.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appearance is likely to represent a flashpoint in the ongoing battle with the GOP-controlled U.S House and the Trump administration, which is attempting to strip self-proclaimed sanctuary cities of all federal funding.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent letters Johnson and the mayors for three other major cities – Boston, Denver, and New York – last week, asking them to testify before the committee and hand over all documents and communications related to their city's sanctuary policies.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will be "pressed" for answers about the city's status as a sanctuary city during an upcoming Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C.