Trump visits the city he used to stigmatize Venezuelans and promises to clean up the country

Former US President (2017-2021) and Republican candidate Donald Trump on Friday stoked fears about migration in Aurora (Colorado), a city that he himself put at the center of national attention to criticize the policies of the Democratic government and promote false narratives about Venezuelan immigrants.

At a packed rally, Trump raised the tone of the xenophobic ideas that have marked the rhythm of his campaign, saying that Venezuelan migrants have “infected” Aurora and promising to “clean up” the country if he is elected president.

“On November 5th, I will rescue all the cities that have been invaded and conquered,” the former president stressed, to cheers from those in attendance.

Trump spoke in front of a fake wall decorated with the words “deport all illegals now” and stood amid photos of two migrants, identified by local authorities as members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua.

Aurora , a suburb of Denver, the capital of Colorado, jumped into the national sphere through the mouth of Trump and through the right-wing media ecosystem, as well as social networks such as X or TikTok.

In particular, they mention the Tren de Aragua , an organization that was born in a prison near Caracas and has been accused of crimes such as extortion and sexual exploitation of migrants in South America.

Local authorities have come out to deny this narrative, including Republican Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman , who said this week that “concerns about Venezuelan gang activity have been grossly exaggerated.”

Denver Metropolitan Police have acknowledged the presence of members of the Tren de Aragua gang in the area and have identified 10 people, several of whom have already been arrested.

Multiple studies have shown that immigrants commit fewer crimes than people born in the U.S., and in Aurora, in particular, crime has decreased by 17% in the past five years, according to data compiled by local broadcaster Denver 7.

Trump’s election campaign

Throughout the election campaign , the former president has extrapolated from individual cases of crimes committed by migrants in the country to stoke fears among foreigners and accuse the government of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in November, of promoting an “open borders” policy.

“She has committed crimes by allowing these migrants into the United States. They are ruining our country,” Trump said.

The Democratic government, contrary to Trump’s claims , has imposed severe restrictions on asylum at the border, which have been criticized by international organizations such as the UN refugee agency.

As a result, the number of illegal border crossings with Mexico has reached its lowest point in four years and the number of deportations under this administration, including immediate expulsions at the border, are on track to surpass those carried out during the four years that Trump was in power. EFE