Trump Demands Jailing of Chicago Leader and Illinois Governor as Military Forces Arrive in City
Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including 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 defend ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.