Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
