Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump wrote on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of National Guard troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite vehement protests from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via online channels, declaring: "I refuse to yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration advances with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", despite police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
That day, two hundred Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Officials reportedly stated the soldiers would not perform law enforcement duties but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel in combat attire with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and essential items. Trailers were arranged in rows. Additional fencing was installed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed flight restrictions over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit targeting the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a federal judge to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is scheduled for the next day.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
The governor has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, he said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in civilian law enforcement. However, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to send regular army in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned deploying military units to at least 10 urban centers, such as major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics shows that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent 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 that day revealed that most Americans oppose the sending of military forces without an external threat.
