Ex-President Donald Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, accusing them of not safeguarding federal immigration officers.
"Chicago's Mayor belongs behind bars for endangering Immigration agents!" Trump posted on social media early Wednesday. "The Illinois governor too!"
Both officials identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of state military troops in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from Illinois authorities such as the governor and mayor.
"This marks yet another attempt where Trump has sought to have an African American leader wrongfully arrested," Johnson responded on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via social platforms, declaring: "I will not back down. Now Trump is calling for imprisonment of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the path to complete authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, National Guard units from Texas had arrived at the Elwood army reserve center, a military installation roughly 50 miles from the city, as the administration pushes forward with its hardline urban crime policy and immigration enforcement operations.
The president has called Chicago a "crime-ridden hellhole", despite official statistics indicate significant drops in most criminal activities, including murders.
That day, 200 state guard troops were scheduled to arrive to the Chicago area, with another 300 state military personnel readying for deployment, according to reports. Officials indicated the soldiers would avoid police functions but would protect ICE officers and their facilities.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Trucks labeled "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered portable toilets and other supplies. Mobile units were set up in rows. Extra barriers was installed around the perimeter.
Aviation authorities ordered no-fly zones over the military base for safety concerns until 6 December.
Federal authorities has escalated deportation operations in Chicago in recent weeks, sparking protests, particularly near an processing facility in Broadview.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago initiated legal action against the federal government, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on the city and state, calling it "unlawful and risky".
Legal proceedings on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an directive on Monday prohibiting ICE officers and others from using municipal facilities as operation bases for enforcement actions.
Pritzker has charged the president of using military forces as "political props" and "chess pieces".
At a news conference on the previous day, he said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the presence of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military's role in enforcing domestic laws. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to invoke the emergency powers, which permits a president to send regular army in states that are failing to put down an uprising or are resisting federal law.
Since starting his second term, the president has sent or mentioned deploying military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and West Coast locations like Bay Area and Southern California municipalities, claiming that the armed forces is necessary to combat crime and protect immigration agents.
Data shows that serious offenses nationwide has declined in the past few years. In the city, for instance, murders were down nearly one-third to 278 through August, according to police data.
A recent poll published on Wednesday found that the majority of US citizens disapprove of the deployment of troops without an external threat.
