Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on that day revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
