Democratic mayors of four major cities said Wednesday that Congress and the Trump administration are exaggerating crime committed by immigrants and attacking so-called sanctuary cities simply to score political points,

House Republicans accused the Democrats leading New York, Denver, Boston and Chicago of protecting criminals. The mayors pushed back and touted their cities’ low crime rates.

Mayor Brandon Johnson testified in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, staunchly defending the city of Chicago and its immigrant sanctuary policies. Johnson’s opening statement alluded to the misrepresentation of sanctuary cities.

Johnson and the other mayors defended their immigration policies, saying they have an obligation to protect everyone living in their cities, regardless of their immigration status.

On the same day mayors from sanctuary cities across the U.S. testified on Capitol Hill, the mayor of Santa Cruz, California, reaffirmed his position that local law enforcement will not assist federal authorities in removing citizens in the U.

So-called sanctuary city policies are a “public nightmare” that make American cities more dangerous, Rep. James Comer said Wednesday.

As the trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration a hearing over the topic of sanctuary cities was front and center on Capitol Hill today.

As Boston Mayor Michelle Wu departed Capitol Hill on Wednesday, her challenger in this year’s mayoral race, Josh Kraft, said he supported the immigration policy that Wu had defended to congressional Republicans.