Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials including 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 am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials indicated the soldiers 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. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property 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, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a president to send active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
