She stood up for the city and refused to cower in the face of threats and smears,” one of more than 480 respondents said.

The Congressional hearing was part of a federal investigation into so-called "sanctuary cities."Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, launched the probe back in January to look into what he described as "the policies of sanctuary jurisdictions and their impact on public safety and federal immigration enforcement.

The theatrical hearing reflected enormous tensions as President Donald Trump continues a major crackdown on undocumented immigration, with Democrats and Republicans sparring over the course of proceedings.