Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered 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, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
