Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied 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 full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with an additional three hundred state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered flight restrictions over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day prohibiting ICE officers and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in states that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, per police data.
New survey data published on that day found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
