Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, 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 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to send regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
