Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the deployment of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and other supplies. Mobile units were arranged in rows. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, 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 dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on Tuesday, he said that Trump is trying to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has said he would be willing to activate the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send regular army in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or mentioned deploying troops to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that most violent crime across the US has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for instance, homicides were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on that day revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
