Trump Calls for Imprisonment of Chicago Leader and Illinois Governor as Military Forces Arrive in Metropolis
Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in states that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
