Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
