Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
