U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the imprisonment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, both Democrats, as his administration prepares to deploy National Guard troops to the streets of Chicago — a move strongly opposed by local leaders.

Neither official faces criminal charges. Both have been vocal critics of Trump’s immigration enforcement policies and his use of federal troops in Democratic-led cities. On his social media platform, Trump accused them of “failing to protect ICE officers,” writing: “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker also!”

The outburst came shortly after former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to federal charges of obstruction and false statements — the first of Trump’s longtime political adversaries to face prosecution. Trump has repeatedly called for jailing his opponents since entering politics in 2015, but Comey’s case marks a new escalation.

Mayor Johnson, who recently declared Chicago an “ICE-Free Zone” barring immigration agents from using city property, dismissed Trump’s threats. “This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. Governor Pritzker, considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, accused Trump of authoritarian behavior, writing: “He’s now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power — what else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Texas National Guard troops have assembled at a military site outside Chicago in preparation for deployment. Trump has also announced plans to send troops to Portland, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Memphis, saying his goal is to “STOP CRIME IN AMERICA.” Local officials and analysts, however, note that violent crime has been declining nationwide since the pandemic spike, and that recent protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown in cities like Chicago and Portland have been largely peaceful.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday found that a majority of Americans oppose troop deployments in U.S. cities absent a major external threat. Still, federal judges have so far allowed the Chicago deployment to proceed, even as Illinois officials pursue legal challenges.

Trump has hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law last activated during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, to override court orders and broaden military powers in cities that resist federal control.