Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
