🔗 Share this article Trump Demands Jailing of Windy City Leader and State Executive as Military Forces Arrive in Metropolis Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers. "The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!" The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction. Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson. "This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere." Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?" As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations. Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides. On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings. Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter. Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December. Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly 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 military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous". A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday. Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts. Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces". During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority." The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law. After beginning his second term, the president has sent or discussed deploying military units to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas 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 most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports. New survey data released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.