Trump Calls for Imprisonment of Windy City Mayor and Illinois Governor as National Guard Deploy in City

Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.

"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"

Both officials are members of the Democratic party.

Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.

"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."

The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"

By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.

The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.

On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.

Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.

Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.

Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".

Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.

The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.

Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".

At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."

The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.

Since starting his new administration, Trump has sent or mentioned sending troops to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect ICE officers.

Data shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.

A recent poll released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.

Carla Townsend
Carla Townsend

A UK-based writer passionate about modern lifestyle trends and tech innovations, with over a decade of blogging experience.