Ex-President Donald J. Trump on midweek demanded the detainment of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, alleging them of failing to protect federal immigration officers.
"The city's leader should be jailed for failing to secure Immigration agents!" Trump posted on his platform early Wednesday. "Governor Pritzker as well!"
The two leaders identify as the Democratic party.
These remarks coincide with the arrival of National Guard personnel in the Windy City area following directives from the current government, notwithstanding vehement protests from state officials including the governor and mayor.
"This represents not the first instance where Trump attempted to have a Black man wrongfully arrested," Mayor Johnson stated on Wednesday. "I'm not going put."
The governor responded via online channels, declaring: "I will not yield. Trump is now demanding arrests of democratically chosen representatives checking his power. What's next on the road toward full-blown authoritarianism?"
By Wednesday morning, military troops from Texas had reached the Elwood army reserve center, an army base approximately 80 kilometers from Chicago, as the administration advances with its aggressive crime strategy and mass deportation efforts.
The president has called Chicago a "dangerous disaster zone", even though official statistics indicate notable reductions in most criminal activities, such as murders.
On Wednesday, two hundred state guard troops were expected to deploy to the region, with another 300 state military forces readying for deployment, per sources. Authorities reportedly stated the troops would avoid police functions but would secure federal immigration agents and government buildings.
Military personnel wearing uniforms with state guard patches were observed at the military facility in the town. Vehicles marked "Emergency Disaster Services" delivered sanitation facilities and essential items. Mobile units were arranged in lines. Extra barriers was placed around the perimeter.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions over the military base for security reasons until 6 December.
The administration has escalated immigration enforcement in the city in recent weeks, sparking demonstrations, particularly near an immigration center in a Chicago suburb.
Earlier this week, state and city filed a lawsuit against the administration, attempting to halt the National Guard deployment, asking a court to stop what they describe as "Trump's long-declared 'Battle'" on Chicago and Illinois, labeling it "unlawful and risky".
A court hearing on their lawsuit is set for Thursday.
The mayor also issued an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents and others from using municipal facilities as staging areas for deportation efforts.
Pritzker has accused Trump of using military forces as "political props" and "pawns".
During a press briefing on the previous day, Pritzker said that the president is attempting to "rationalize and normalize the deployment of military personnel under his direct command."
The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act restricts the army's involvement in civilian law enforcement. Yet, Trump has stated he would be prepared to activate the emergency powers, which permits a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to suppress an insurrection or are resisting national authority.
Since starting his new administration, Trump has dispatched or discussed deploying military units to over ten cities, including Baltimore; Washington DC; New Orleans and California cities like Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, arguing that the armed forces is essential to fight violence and protect immigration agents.
Statistics indicates that most violent crime nationwide has decreased in recent years. In the city, for instance, homicides were down nearly one-third to under three hundred through late summer, according to law enforcement reports.
A recent poll published on that day found that most Americans disapprove of the deployment of troops without an foreign danger.
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.