Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed 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, triggering demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
