Republican legislators called for a Department of Justice investigation into Democratic mayors they accused Wednesday at a House committee hearing of leading sanctuary cities.

The big picture: A "sanctuary city" label could have major consequences, with Republicans threatening to pull federal funding and, in Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's case, pursue criminal charges.

• President Trump signed an executive order the day he was inaugurated calling for federal grants to sanctuary cities to be cut.

Driving the news: Although federal courts have blocked Trump's order, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and New York Mayor Eric Adams were targeted in a five-hour-plus House Oversight Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. Wednesday.

• Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) defined sanctuary cities as those that "violate federal immigration law by protecting criminal aliens" and those that "refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts."

What they're saying: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) accused the mayors of "harming the American people."

• Johnson responded: "We comply with all laws, local, state and federal."

Friction point: The Democratic mayors and Republican lawmakers primarily disagree on the circumstances that should compel local law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

• All the mayors said they work with ICE when presented with a criminal warrant.
• Republican legislators, however, say the cities must additionally honor ICE detainers, which require holding arrestees longer than legally allowed.
• Several municipalities face lawsuits for using detainers when detainees were determined to be U.S. citizens.

Zoom in: Adams is suing the Trump administration for funding for asylum seekers.

• He faces federal bribery and fraud charges the DOJ is fighting to have dropped so Adams can comply with Trump's immigration policies.
• He agreed to honor detainer requests.

More from Axios:

• Republicans push to investigate sanctuary city mayors
• Boston mayor grilled as misinformation flies at sanctuary cities hearing
• Congress threatens Denver mayor with jail over immigration policies

False rumors and panic have hit cities coast to coast after federal authorities began a nationwide immigration crackdown, prompting advocates and community leaders to warn people to seek reliable sources of information and keep calm.

Why it matters: Misinformation can ripple through already tense communities, leading to people staying home from work and school.

State of play: Within a couple days of the Trump administration announcing it would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to conduct enforcement in schools, a false report that ICE offers had showed up to a Chicago elementary school was shared in news reports and even by the governor.

• A similar rumor spread in Philadelphia, prompting the School District of Philadelphia, home to over 198,000 students, to release a statement denying that ICE had been in schools.
• In San Francisco, a middle schooler's claim she'd encountered an ICE agent on a city bus set off panic among parents and others in the city, per a report in the San Francisco Standard.

In immigrant communities in Colorado, online posts warning of raids spread quickly before local police stepped in, saying they were not aware of any action.

• And in Boston on Tuesday, leaders of the Boston Children's Hospital reassured the public that ICE had not raided the facility after several popular social media accounts reposted a false rumor.

What they're saying: "Misinformation is really dangerous because it creates panic and it creates chaos in any community, and immigrant communities are no different," says Conchita Cruz, co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP).

• "I think that part of what is so difficult about this moment for so many immigrants around the United States is that a lot of the executive orders, a lot of the policy changes that are being announced are really not clear."

Between the lines: Top Trump administration officials have made contradictory statements about whether ICE raids would target people with criminal records, or anyone in the country illegally.

• Immigration officials have also not offered specifics as to the circumstances under which they would attempt to arrest someone at a school, for example.
• Whether by design or not, that ambiguity is feeding into the climate of fear and confusion.

An earthquake off the coast of Maine reverberated across New England Monday morning.

Driving the news: A 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of York Harbor, Maine before 10:30am, per the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Residents from Maine to Hartford, Connecticut, reported feeling the earthquake, per responses to the USGS.
• The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said there were no reports of damage.

Our thought bubble: Axios copy editor Egan Millard, who lives in Somerville, says, "I experienced many earthquakes when I lived in Alaska and the shuddering, swaying motion I felt was uncanny. I didn't think I'd ever feel it here."