Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
