Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted 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 refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending military units to over ten urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
