Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek called for the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader belongs behind bars for endangering ICE Officers!" Trump wrote on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker too!"
Both officials are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements coincide with the deployment of state military personnel in the Chicago region following directives from the federal administration, despite vehement protests from state officials such as the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump has sought to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Mayor Johnson stated on that day. "I'm not going anywhere."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, declaring: "I refuse to back down. Trump is now calling for imprisonment of elected officials resisting his authority. What's next on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard troops from the Lone Star State had reached the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the federal government pushes forward with its hardline crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
Trump has labeled Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", even though police data indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as homicides.
On Wednesday, 200 state guard members were scheduled to arrive to the region, with another 300 Illinois guard forces preparing to mobilize, according to reports. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would not perform police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were spotted at the US army reserve center 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 no-fly zones over the army reserve center for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in the past month, triggering demonstrations, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the administration, attempting to halt the military dispatch, urging a court to stop what they call "the president's proclaimed 'War'" on the city and state, labeling it "illegal and dangerous".
Legal proceedings on their case is scheduled for Thursday.
The mayor also signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents and related personnel from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged Trump of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is trying to "justify and make acceptable the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The historic Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an uprising or are defying federal law.
Since starting his second term, Trump has dispatched or discussed sending military units to at least 10 urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, claiming that the military presence is essential to fight violence and protect ICE officers.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In Chicago, for example, murders were reduced nearly one-third to 278 through August, per law enforcement reports.
New survey data released on Wednesday revealed that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of military forces without an external threat.
