Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role 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 failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to over ten urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data published on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
