‘Sanctuary’ city mayor confronted after a gang member assaulted federal officers
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio recently confronted Denver Mayor Mike Johnston during a House Oversight Committee hearing over the city’s “sanctuary” policies that allowed an illegal immigrant and suspected Tren de Aragua gang member to walk free and allegedly assault federal officers. The incident involved the release of Abraham Gonzalez, a 23-year-old Venezuelan illegal immigrant charged with assault, menace, and theft of a vehicle, despite an ICE detainer request.
During the hearing, Jordan criticized Johnston for giving ICE only one-hour notice before releasing Gonzalez and ignoring the detainer request. After being released, Gonzalez reportedly assaulted ICE agents who were attempting to apprehend him, highlighting the risks posed by sanctuary city policies that prevent cooperation with federal authorities.
Despite the incident, Johnston has defended Denver’s sanctuary policies and vowed to resist President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. He claimed that the policies do not shield individuals from law enforcement but rather provide services. However, Jordan pointed out that ICE agents had to arrest Gonzalez in a parking lot, where one of them was assaulted and had to use a taser to subdue him.
Jordan highlighted the shortcomings of sanctuary policies, emphasizing that releasing individuals to the streets without proper coordination with federal authorities puts both law enforcement officers and the public at risk. He questioned the logic behind releasing a potentially dangerous individual when ICE could have easily taken him into custody within the facility.
During the hearing, Jordan challenged Johnston’s claims of prioritizing safety, stating that the sanctuary policies had put ICE agents and the community at risk. He criticized the decision to release Gonzalez and the lack of cooperation with federal authorities, calling the sanctuary policies “stupid” and dangerous.
Johnston expressed openness to making adjustments to how releases are conducted but maintained that this was the first incident of an ICE agent being assaulted during an arrest in Denver. However, Jordan reiterated the importance of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety and effective immigration enforcement.
The confrontation between Rep. Jim Jordan and Mayor Mike Johnston highlights the ongoing debate over sanctuary city policies and their implications for law enforcement and public safety. The incident serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by conflicting approaches to immigration enforcement at the federal and local levels.
