Former President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
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 sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
