Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
