Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
