Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to complete autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with an additional three hundred state military personnel readying for deployment, according to sources. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with Texas national guard insignia were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered sanitation facilities and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in the past month, sparking demonstrations, especially near an processing facility in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, asking a federal judge to stop what they describe as "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and risky".
Legal proceedings on their case is set for the next day.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic federal law limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. Yet, the president has said he would be prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act, which permits a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or mentioned sending military units to at least 10 cities, such as Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, arguing that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Data indicates that serious offenses nationwide has decreased in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down 31% to 278 through August, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data published on that day revealed that the majority of US citizens oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
