Former President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of National Guard troops in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities including Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in the city in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a president to send active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
Since starting his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending 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.
Statistics shows that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day found that most Americans oppose the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
