Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
