Trump Demands Jailing of Windy City Mayor and Illinois Governor as Military Forces Arrive in City
Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration 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 failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, 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," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops 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 necessary to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.