Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
