Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying federal law.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending troops to at least 10 cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
