Trump Calls for Imprisonment of Windy City Leader and Illinois Governor as National Guard Deploy in Metropolis
Former President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"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 yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to over ten cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.