Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
