Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
