Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. 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 troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
That day, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on that day revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
