Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
