Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting 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 troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
