Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek 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 Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding strong objections from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, triggering protests, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or mentioned deploying military units to over ten urban centers, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
