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 ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", 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 Chicago area, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
