Trump criticizes Chicago’s mayor and Illinois governor for opposing his large-scale deportation efforts as military personnel arrive in the state.
President Donald Trump has demanded the imprisonment of Democratic leaders in Illinois who are resisting his expansive deportation initiative, following the arrival of armed troops from Texas to support the enforcement activities in the state.
Chicago, Illinois’ most populous city and the nation’s third-largest, has emerged as a central battleground in the Trump administration’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants-a move that has sparked accusations of civil rights violations and numerous legal challenges.
The enforcement operation is spearheaded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose agents, often masked, have intensified raids in several Democratic-controlled cities, provoking widespread public outrage and demonstrations outside federal offices.
On Wednesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “Chicago’s Mayor should be jailed for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker too!”
While local authorities maintain that city and state law enforcement agencies are capable of managing the protests, Trump insists that military presence is essential to safeguard federal agents, raising alarms among critics about an increasing authoritarian approach.
Following deployments of the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., approximately 200 troops were dispatched to Illinois on Tuesday.
Federal immigration enforcement facilities near Chicago have also witnessed confrontations between agents and demonstrators.
Governor JB Pritzker expressed frustration, stating to reporters, “The federal government has not informed us in any way about their troop deployments. It’s astonishing that I have to discuss ‘troop movements’ within an American city, but that is the reality we face.”
A judicial hearing scheduled for Thursday will address Illinois and Chicago’s request to declare the National Guard deployment unlawful, with a judge set to determine the extent of military presence permitted on the streets.
‘Rise Up and Raise Your Voice’
Trump’s public denunciations of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, both Democrats, mirror his previous extraordinary calls for legal action against his political adversaries.
These remarks coincided with the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on charges of providing false testimony to Congress-an indictment that followed shortly after Trump urged his attorney general to pursue charges against Comey and others.
Governor Pritzker, considered a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has emerged as one of Trump’s most vocal opponents.
On Wednesday, Pritzker vowed to “stand firm,” outlining numerous objections to Trump’s immigration enforcement tactics.
He criticized measures such as “forcing individuals to carry proof of citizenship, deploying military forces into our state, and sending war helicopters during nighttime raids,” posting on X.
“What remains before we reach outright authoritarian rule?” he questioned. “It is imperative that we all rise up and raise our voices.”
The “war helicopters” Pritzker referenced pertain to a significant raid last week when Black Hawk helicopters were deployed to a Chicago housing complex.
While the Trump administration reported dozens of arrests during the surprise operation, media outlets noted that some American citizens were detained for extended periods.
In response, Mayor Johnson declared “ICE-free zones,” designating city-owned properties as off-limits to federal immigration agents.
Johnson accused Republicans of seeking “a replay of the Civil War.”
Trump’s crackdown on immigration is part of his campaign promise to eliminate what he describes as waves of foreign “criminals” entering the country.
However, Trump has encountered legal obstacles, including a federal judge in Oregon blocking his attempt to deploy troops in Portland, ruling that his claims of an emergency were unfounded and affirming that the United States is governed by constitutional law, not martial law.
Trump has indicated he might invoke the seldom-used Insurrection Act to authorize military deployments nationwide if judicial rulings or local officials impede his efforts.
