Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
