Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel 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 the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through August, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
