Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
New survey data released on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
