Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
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 activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
