Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials 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 that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has sent or discussed deploying military units to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
