Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on that day banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed 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, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
