Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic faction.
These remarks come alongside the deployment of state military personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the federal administration, despite strong objections from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks not the first instance where Trump has sought to have a Black man unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going anywhere."
The governor responded via online channels, stating: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of elected officials resisting his authority. What remains on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
As of midweek, National Guard units from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base roughly 80 kilometers from the city, as the federal government pushes forward with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden disaster zone", even though police data indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard personnel preparing to mobilize, per sources. Officials indicated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure ICE officers and government buildings.
Soldiers in combat attire with Texas national guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center in Elwood. Trucks marked "Emergency Disaster Services" dropped off portable toilets and other supplies. Trailers were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered 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.
Earlier this week, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action targeting the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a federal judge to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, calling it "illegal and risky".
A court hearing on their case is set for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday banning ICE officers and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for deportation efforts.
The governor has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pritzker said that Trump is trying to "justify and make acceptable the deployment of armed soldiers under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. However, the president has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a president to dispatch regular army in states that are failing to suppress an insurrection or are defying national authority.
After beginning his second term, the president has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, 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 fight violence and defend ICE officers.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In Chicago, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through late summer, according to police data.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
