Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
