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 should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
