Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has called Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including homicides.
That day, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to invoke 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.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
