Former President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the incarceration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding ICE agents.
"Chicago's Mayor should be jailed for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media Wednesday morning. "The Illinois governor too!"
The two leaders are members of the Democratic party.
Trump's statements come alongside the arrival of state military personnel in the Chicago region under orders from the current government, despite vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as Pritzker and Johnson.
"This represents yet another attempt where Trump attempted to have an African American leader unjustly detained," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
Pritzker also replied via social platforms, stating: "I refuse to yield. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What remains on the path to complete 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 Chicago, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has labeled Chicago a "dangerous hellhole", even though official statistics indicate significant drops in many offenses, including murders.
On Wednesday, 200 Texas National Guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the region, with an additional three hundred Illinois guard forces readying for deployment, per reports. Authorities indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard insignia were spotted at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Disaster Relief" delivered portable toilets and essential items. Mobile units were set up in lines. Extra barriers was installed around the compound.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered no-fly zones over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
Federal authorities has intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, especially near an immigration center in Broadview.
On Monday, state and city initiated legal action against the federal government, seeking to block the military dispatch, asking a court to stop what they describe as "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 directive on Monday banning federal immigration agents and related personnel from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has accused the president of using military forces as "staged tools" and "chess pieces".
During a press briefing on the previous day, he said that Trump is attempting to "justify 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 said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a commander-in-chief to send active duty military in regions that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting federal law.
After beginning his new administration, Trump has sent or discussed sending military units to over ten urban centers, including major metropolitan areas and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the military presence is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that serious offenses across the US has decreased in recent years. In the city, for example, murders were reduced 31% to 278 through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll released on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the sending of troops without an external threat.
