Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged 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 armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a president to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
