Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor as well!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the arrival of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from Illinois authorities including the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. 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 Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite police data indicate notable reductions in many offenses, such as homicides.
That day, 200 Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Soldiers wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Trucks marked "Disaster Relief" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Trailers were set up in rows. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities imposed flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until early December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, triggering demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also signed an executive order on that day banning federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as staging areas for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that the president is attempting to "justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, the president has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a commander-in-chief to dispatch active duty military in regions that are failing to suppress an uprising or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has sent or discussed deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations 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 across the US has declined in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through August, according to police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the sending of military forces without an external threat.
