Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
