Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday called for 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 ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
