Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What remains on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces preparing to mobilize, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in the past month, triggering demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in states that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
