Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied 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 autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging 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 case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
