Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through August, per police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.