Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of 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, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials indicated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against 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, calling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to send regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
