Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from Texas had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per sources. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts 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 dispatch active duty military in states that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
