Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
That day, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
