Trump Demands Imprisonment of Chicago Mayor and State Executive as National Guard Arrive in City
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"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!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.