Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
