By Brendan O'Brien, Susan Heavey and Andy Sullivan
CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for jailing Chicago's mayor and Illinois' governor, both Democrats, as his administration prepared to deploy military troops to the streets of the third-largest U.S. city.
Trump's call to imprison the two prominent opponents of his immigration crackdown comes as another high-profile political rival, former FBI Director James Comey, was due to appear in court to face criminal
charges that have been widely criticized as flimsy.
Trump has frequently called for jailing his opponents since he first entered politics in 2015, but Comey is the first to face prosecution.
On his social media platform, Trump accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker of failing to protect immigration officers who have been operating in Chicago.
"Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!" Trump wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
Hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers have gathered at an Army facility outside Chicago, over the objections of Pritzker, Johnson and other Democratic leaders in the state. Trump has threatened to deploy troops to more U.S. cities as well.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, and Susan Heavey and Katharine Jackson in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Frank McGurty)
