In a tense exchange during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, a Republican from Ohio pressed Denver Mayor Mike Johnston about the release of an alleged Venezuelan gang member last week into “the streets” and how federal immigration agents scrambled to take him custody.

“Mr. Congressman,” Johnston replied to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan during the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on March 5, “we notified them of the release. There were six ICE agents present when he was released so they had enough time to respond and to be present.”

“Respond where?” Jordan pressed the mayor.

“To the jail we released him from,” Johnston said, adding Denver authorities notified ICE of the release time.

When Jordan categorically asked where Denver released the suspect “to the streets” or “to ICE,” Johnston didn’t directly answer the question.

“What we do, sir, is we released him from our country jail and we coordinate with ICE on that release time and release date so that ICE can come and pick him up from that location.”

A video released by Denver authorities showed what happened that Friday. The alleged gang member was released onto the streets outside the county jail, and, upon seeing federal authorities, he ran, leaving ICE agents to chase after him.

On Feb. 28, authorities with the Denver Sheriff’s Department notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they would be releasing Abraham Gonzales from jail.

Denver authorities provided ICE about an hour’s advanced notice of the release.

In the video, an ICE agent follows Gonzales, who takes off running. About six federal agents pursue Gonzales on foot. One agent in the chase draws what appears to be a weapon. At least part of the incident happens outside of the camera shot, before agents subdued Gonzales.

During the March 5 hearing, Jordan said one of the ICE officers got assaulted in that parking lot.

“They had to tase the guy, didn’t they?” Jordan asked Johnston.

Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a Venezuelan prison gang with tentacles in several Latin American countries and the U.S. Authorities have said TdA gang members have been involved in a myriad of criminal activities that include drug trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering, extortion and human trafficking — particularly of immigrant women and girls.

Gang members appear to have infiltrated the U.S. by embedding themselves in with Venezuelans fleeing President Nicolás Maduro’s oppressive regime. About 8 million have fled the country with more than 500,000 estimated to be living in the U.S.

Denver began seeing an unprecedented number of immigrants arriving in the Mile High City two years ago. Since then, more than 40,000 have come, with about half through Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing program aimed at Democratic governors.

Bus, plane and train tickets purchased for onward travel for immigrants suggested about half have stayed — the equivalent of adding a city the size of Golden to the metro area in less than 18 months.

During the congressional hearing, Jordan said Gonzales was apprehended by Border Patrol and released into the country in 2023. Gonzales was later arrested in Denver in March last year and charged with multiple felonies that include aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft and felony menacing.

Gonzales was in custody for nearly a year before Denver authorities released him on last month.

“You release him to the streets,” Jordan said. “Why not release him to ICE?”

Jordan argued that Denver should have provided 48 hours’ notice.

Johnston disputed the characterization that the city’s policy shielded people from law enforcement and noted that local officials have worked with federal agents on more than 1,200 ICE detainers over the past seven years.

Lawmakers summoned Johnston and the mayors of Boston, Chicago and New York City to Washington D.C. on Wednesday, when they faced more than five hours of questions for their “sanctuary city” policies.

Generally speaking, a “sanctuary city” is one that has established policies discouraging local law enforcement from reporting an individual’s immigration status to federal authorities.

During the hearing, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, called the failure of these Democratic mayors to cooperate with federal authorities a federal crime and said she would be referring them to the Department of Justice for investigation.

The Johnston administration hired a law firm — capped at $2 million for a year — to help him prepare for the hearing.

“You all speak about a broken immigration system, and yet here you guys are aiding and abetting in that entire process,” Luna said Wednesday.

Johnston has said publicly several times the city would comply with criminal immigration enforcement, but not with “non-criminal” cases.