Ex-President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, stating: "I will not back down. Now Trump is demanding arrests of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown autocracy?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood training facility, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from the city, as the administration advances with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials reportedly stated the troops would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
Aviation authorities imposed no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
The administration has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they call "Trump's long-declared 'War'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for the next day.
The mayor also signed an directive on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his personal authority."
The historic federal law restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send regular army in regions that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has dispatched or mentioned deploying troops to over ten cities, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is essential to combat crime and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were reduced 31% to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that most Americans oppose the sending of military forces without an foreign danger.
