Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of failing to protect ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for failing to secure ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform Wednesday morning. "Governor Pritzker too!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military troops in the Chicago region following directives from the current government, despite strong objections from state officials such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I am staying anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of elected officials checking his power. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from the Lone Star State had arrived at the Elwood training facility, an army base roughly 50 miles from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive urban crime policy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", despite police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel readying for deployment, per reports. Authorities reportedly stated the soldiers would avoid law enforcement duties but would protect ICE officers and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in Elwood. Vehicles labeled "Disaster Relief" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were set up in lines. Additional fencing was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the army reserve center for security reasons until early December.
Federal authorities has intensified deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
On Monday, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, seeking to block the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "unlawful and dangerous".
A court hearing on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
Mayor Johnson also issued an executive order on Monday banning ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using troops as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that Trump is attempting to "rationalize and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his personal authority."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, the president has stated he would be willing to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are failing to put down an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or mentioned sending troops to at least 10 cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the military presence is essential to fight violence and defend immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday found that most Americans disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
