Former President Donald Trump spoke out against a violent Venezuelan gang allegedly taking over apartment buildings in Aurora, Colorado, criticizing “stupid” leaders for allowing dangerous criminals to enter the U.S. illegally.
Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky raised concerns earlier this week about the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, claiming that the group was seizing control of apartment complexes in the city, located just east of Denver.
Video footage, reported by Fox News on Thursday, showed armed men walking through an Aurora apartment building and entering an apartment after knocking on the door with guns drawn.
Trump addressed the issue during his rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, warning that if illegal immigration is not tackled, the situation in Aurora will only be “the beginning.”
“You see what’s happening in Aurora, Colorado, today. Did you see this?” Trump asked his supporters. “Venezuelan gang members have taken over parts of the city. They’ve taken over apartment houses because these stupid people we have leading our country are allowing these people, these criminals to come into our country. And we’re going to get them the hell out of here. And this is just the beginning. Wait until you see what happens. Wait until you see what they’re doing.”
Local leaders, including Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, have attributed the migrant gang issue in Aurora to federal immigration policies and Denver’s sanctuary city policies.
Since December 2022, approximately 40,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in Denver, encouraged by the city’s policies and the provision of handouts.
President Trump on the armed Tren de Aragua SAVAGES taking over apartment buildings in Colorado: "These STUPID people we have leading our country are allowing these criminals to come into our country. We're going to get them the HELL out of here." pic.twitter.com/1yRHb6CX3B
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 30, 2024
“You’ve had these massive waves of migrants coming across the border that many of them crossed the border illegally, were arrested, asked for political asylum, were not adequately vetted, were released into the country, [into] the city of Aurora,” Coffman said. “We did everything we could to, quite frankly, keep them … out of the city because it’s not our problem. This is a federal problem.”
The office of Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis responded to the allegations of gang takeovers of Aurora apartments, suggesting that the claims are “largely a feature of [Aurora City Councilwoman] Jurinsky’s imagination.”
JUST IN: Donald Trump promises to deport the Venezuelan gang members who took over apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado.
"We're going to get them the hell out of here."
Aurora officials have been investigating a Venezuelan gang, the Tren de Aragua gang, who is accused of… pic.twitter.com/MEq4RBbMqV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 30, 2024
A spokeswoman for Polis stated that “it’s illegal to take over buildings in Colorado” and added that if Jurinsky has “knowledge” of such crimes occurring, Polis’ office is “ready to assist” law enforcement “in taking [the apartment buildings] back.”
