Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday 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 Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
