Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
