Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a president to send active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
