Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or discussed deploying military units to over ten urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
