Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city 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 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a president to send regular army in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
