Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed deploying 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 military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
