Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I will not yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire 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 arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, triggering demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, murders were down 31% to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
