Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, the president has sent or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
