Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
