Former President Donald Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
