Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference 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 nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, 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 foreign danger.
