Trump Calls for Jailing of Chicago Leader and Illinois Governor as National Guard Deploy in City

Former President Donald Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.

"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"

The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.

These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as 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 am staying anywhere."

Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"

By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.

Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.

On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.

Military personnel in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.

The administration has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.

Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".

A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.

The mayor also signed an directive 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 military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".

During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers 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 stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.

Since starting his second term, the president has sent or mentioned sending military units to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.

Data shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.

New survey data published on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.