Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for 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 social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied 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 complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or mentioned sending military units to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
