Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois 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 early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
