Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling 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 others from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has sent or discussed 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 military presence is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for instance, murders were down 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
