Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to over ten cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through August, according to police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
