Trump Calls for Jailing of Windy City Mayor and Illinois Governor as Military Forces Arrive in Metropolis
Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area under orders 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 unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "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?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.