Trump Demands Jailing of Windy City Mayor and State Executive as Military Forces Arrive in City
Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or discussed deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.