Ex-President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off 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 safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
