Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests 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'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging 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 case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
