Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
