With 25 days left until the election, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a rally in Aurora, the third-largest city in the state of Colorado. Trump talked extensively about his immigration policies, accusing Biden’s immigration policy of exacerbating the issue of illegal immigration in American communities. Two banners beside him read “Immediately Deport Illegal Immigrants” and “End Immigration Crime.”
At the rally on Friday, Trump promised that if elected, he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act to deport all known or suspected gang members and drug traffickers living in the United States. He referred to this large-scale deportation operation as “Operation Aurora.”
Trump stated that he would task the Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and federal law enforcement agencies to “pursue, arrest, and deport every illegal immigrant gang member.” The Alien Enemies Act allows the federal government to detain and expel foreigners from nations with which the US is at war.
Aurora resident Cindy Romero spoke on stage at the rally on Friday, expressing growing unease in her community, even going as far as installing four different locks on her front door. Romero believes that supporting Trump can help residents “regain control of this state.”
Located in the suburbs of Denver with a population of 400,000, Aurora drew public attention last month due to a video that went viral online. The video showed armed men in the vicinity of an apartment building, followed by a shooting incident in the area.
In the previous debate, Trump claimed that a Venezuelan immigrant gang organization known as “Tren de Aragua” was invading Aurora, stating that the gang had taken over a local apartment building. Trump’s comments put Aurora in the spotlight, although some voters found his statements questionable.
Local media reported that authorities could not confirm if these individuals were linked to gangs.
Officials in Colorado and Aurora have pushed back against Trump’s claims. Governor Jared Polis stated at a campaign event that crime rates in Aurora have been steadily decreasing for the past two years.
“Former President Trump seems not to care about whom his remarks might hurt,” Polis said. “We hope to turn lemons into lemonade, and under the national spotlight, show just how incredible Aurora truly is.”
A poll released by The Wall Street Journal on Friday revealed that in seven key states, 52% of surveyed voters believe Trump would better handle immigration and border security issues, while only 36% think Biden would perform better in this regard.