Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, military troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard members were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for the next day.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on that day banning ICE officers and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using troops as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch regular army in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has sent or mentioned deploying military units to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has declined in recent years. In Chicago, for example, homicides were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, per police data.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that most Americans oppose the sending of troops without an external threat.
