Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered 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 protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
