Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to over ten urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
