Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for 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 endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials indicated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
