Former President Donald J. 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.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
