Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the federal administration, notwithstanding strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and immigration enforcement operations.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite official statistics indicate notable reductions in many offenses, including murders.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel preparing to mobilize, according to sources. Officials indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed 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 demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the administration, 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, labeling it "unlawful and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an directive on that day prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an uprising or are defying federal law.
Since starting his new administration, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 urban centers, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that most violent crime across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
