Trump Calls for Jailing of Windy City Leader and State Executive as Military Forces Deploy in Metropolis
Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.