Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect 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 faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that most Americans oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
