Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials indicated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the US army reserve center in the town. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
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, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were down 31% to 278 through August, per police data.
A recent poll released on that day found that most Americans oppose the deployment of military forces without an foreign danger.
