Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
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 the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
