Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, seeking to block the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to suppress an uprising or are resisting national authority.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 cities, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, per police data.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
