Immigration law, the mayors said, is a federal responsibility, and the attempt to put that responsibility on local law enforcement makes communities distrust the police and others they may need to call for help. Trump’s crackdown, the mayors said, has terrified immigrants, many of them in the U.S. legally.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston will soon be on his way to Washington D.C. to testify before the U.S House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to explain the city’s “sanctuary jurisdiction” policies.