Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars 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 National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
