On the ground in the Colorado city where President-elect Trump promises to remove ‘savage gangs’ of illegals
In a grocery store parking lot on a near-freezing afternoon, a man held a cardboard sign identifying himself as a migrant and asking for help. Next to him, a woman and at least one small child sat on the ground, their shoulders hunched against the biting breeze.
Such sights have become ubiquitous for those living in Aurora and the broader Denver area. Migrants living in the streets, asking for money or running up to cars stopped at intersections with squeegees, trying to make a quick buck washing windshields.
Less visible to the average Aurora resident is the violent gang crime that catapulted the city of about 400,000 to national prominence.
"We’ve seen extortion, we’ve seen murders, we’ve seen a kidnapping," former ICE field office director for the Denver region John Fabbricatore said, referencing crimes allegedly linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
These problems "are a direct result of what’s happened at the border in the last four years, and also allowing all these people to come in that were not vetted. We did not know who they are. And now we have more gang members entering the community," Fabbricatore added.
A viral video of alleged Venezuelan gang members carrying guns through an Aurora apartment complex last August put a spotlight on immigration in the Denver area. President-elect Donald Trump visited the city during his re-election campaign last fall, detailing his "Operation Aurora."
"Upon taking office, we will have an ‘Operation Aurora’ at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs," Trump said during his Oct. 11 rally. He said he would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to "target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil."
While local police initially denied that gang members had "taken over" the Edge at Lowry apartments, local outlets reported this week that a judge granted the city an emergency order to close the 60-unit complex. The city described the complex as "an epicenter for unmitigated violent crimes and property crimes," and referenced the December kidnapping and torture of a migrant couple at the apartment complex by suspected TdA members.
Nine men were charged in connection with the crime this week.
The arrests come on the heels of a blistering op-ed by Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, accusing his Denver counterpart of offloading migrants in the smaller city "via the cover of two nonprofit organizations" and blocking efforts by Aurora to find out how many migrants had been deposited in the city.
"Aurora has suffered from a national embarrassment that has harmed the image of our city in a way that could have lasting economic consequences," Coffman, a Republican, wrote. "As the mayor of Aurora, I’m asking that Mayor Mike Johnston be transparent and tell the truth about what he did."
A spokesperson for Johnston’s office previously told Fox News Digital that "Denver did not direct any nonprofit or agency to place newcomers in Aurora."
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain declined to be interviewed for this story. Mayor Coffman's office did not respond to multiple interview requests.
Fabbricatore said both mayors were "guilty of trying to ignore" the illegal immigration problem, especially when TdA first entered the community.
"There's been a big lack of communication between Aurora and Denver," he said. "Both mayors need to come forward and admit that we have a criminal, illegal, alien problem, that we have a gang problem, and that's what needs to be dealt with."
Fabbricatore praised Trump's appointment of former acting director of ICE Tom Homan as "border czar," calling Homan a "cop's cop" and predicting that federal agents would be able to carry out "targeted enforcement" against "criminal illegal aliens."
People living in Aurora who Fox News Digital spoke with broadly said they felt safe in the city and hadn't personally noticed gang problems.
Al, who relocated to Aurora from Chicago four years ago, said crime in Colorado is "nothing in comparison."
"I know a lot of people complain about the gang issues, but I personally have not even noticed," he said. "The only real issue I see here is the homeless population is quite high, and I do feel for them."
Overall crime in the city of about 400,000 people was down slightly in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the year prior, an analysis by local station Denver7 found. And while gang-related assaults did spike 33% compared to 2023, a 5-year average of reported crimes shows such assaults down significantly from 513 to 221, police data showed.
Locals were split on whether they supported Trump's promised mass deportations.
"If they came in illegally, they need to go back and come in the right way," Roosevelt told Fox News Digital.
But Clarence, originally from Memphis, Tenn., worried about the impact on immigrants who have been in the area for decades.
"These folks [have] been here all this time," he said. "How are you going to push these folks from their home? I don't understand that one. They've been here longer than I have."
Robert minced few words, suggesting ICE "deport Trump" instead.
Trump has previously said removing illegal immigrants who have committed crimes is the priority, but that his administration is prepared to target otherwise law-abiding immigrants after that.