Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per 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 insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
