Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed 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, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
