Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements come alongside the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "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 Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
