(CNN) — The running battle between President Trump and Democratic-led cities is nearing a new inflection point, as active-duty troops gather in Chicago while lawyers prepare for critical court hearings two thousand miles away from each other.

The Trump administration is tying planned deployments in both Chicago and Portland, Oregon, to increasingly tense protests outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, as well as citing the shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas. Two ICE detainees were killed there. President Trump has called it an attack on law enforcement.

The president ramped up his criticism Wednesday of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who called the Guard callup “Trump’s invasion” over the weekend.

“Chicago Mayor should be in jai

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