Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
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 Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were observed at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers 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 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property 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 trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
