Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
