On Wednesday, President Donald Trump expressed that the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois, both Democrats, should face jail time as he intensified his attacks against political opponents.
Trump posted on his platform, “Truth Social”: “The Mayor of Chicago (Brandon Johnson) should be in prison for failing to protect ‘ICE officers,’ adding, ‘and so should the governor (J.B. Pritzker)!’
This statement from the Republican president comes amid tensions as officials are opposing his orders demanding ICE personnel to conduct raids on immigrants in Chicago.
In related news, a Pentagon official reported that 200 National Guard members have arrived near Chicago in preparation for deployment in the city. The source, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that these Texas reserve soldiers’ mission is to safeguard “operations, personnel, and federal properties” for an initial duration of 60 days.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, also a Republican, shared a photo on social media on Monday showing National Guard members boarding a plane, without disclosing their destination.
There was no immediate comment from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office. However, the Democratic governor anticipates that Illinois National Guard troops will be activated alongside 400 soldiers from Texas.
Pritzker accused President Trump of using federal forces as “political props” and “pawns,” as he put it.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters that the administration is not sharing much information with the city. He stated on Tuesday, “This is the most challenging aspect at the moment: you have an administration that refuses to collaborate with local authority.”
Meanwhile, a federal judge has given the Trump administration two days to respond to a lawsuit filed by the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago on Monday, challenging the plan. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The lawsuit claims that “these actions in President Trump’s declared war on Chicago and Illinois are illegal and risky.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit argues, “The American people, regardless of where they live, should not be subjected to the threat of military occupation simply because the leadership of their city or state no longer meets the president’s approval or support.”