Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities 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 am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas 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 shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
