Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed 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 recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or discussed sending military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
