Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has sent or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
