Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
