Former President Donald J. 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 ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to send active duty military in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
