Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of 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 ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a president to send active duty military in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 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.
