Former President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military 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 aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. 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 early December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
