Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, 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 call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
