Trump Calls for Jailing of Chicago Leader and State Executive as Military Forces Deploy in Metropolis
Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment 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 Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces 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 deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.