Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
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 hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
That day, 200 state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed sending troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
