Former President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
Trump's statements coincide with the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I am staying put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
As of midweek, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "rationalize and make acceptable the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to dispatch regular army in regions that are unable to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, the president has sent or mentioned deploying troops to over ten urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to police data.
A recent poll published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an foreign danger.
