Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
