Former President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, 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 labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
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 call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits 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 new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
