Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
That day, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has said he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
