Trump Demands Jailing of Windy City Mayor and Illinois Governor as National Guard Arrive in City
Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.