Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has sent or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
