Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act 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 president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
