Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, 200 state guard members were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has said he would be willing to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses across the US 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 disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
