Former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities indicated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or discussed deploying troops to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
