Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons 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.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court 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 issued an directive on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or discussed sending military units to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
