Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused 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 military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
