Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt 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 will not back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 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 filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
