Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions 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. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court 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.
The mayor also issued an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
The governor has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to over ten cities, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, per police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
