Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of 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 ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
