Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 50 miles from the city, as the federal government advances with its hardline crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred state military forces readying for deployment, according to sources. Officials indicated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering protests, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has sent or discussed deploying troops to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
