Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment 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 Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
