Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote 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 state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete 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 the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, per police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
