Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to send regular army in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
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.
