Trump Demands Imprisonment of Windy City Mayor and Illinois Governor as National Guard Arrive in Metropolis
Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.