Former President Donald Trump is set to visit Aurora, Colorado, for a campaign rally on Friday after weeks of pushing misleading narratives about the city’s migrant population.
In the final weeks of his campaign, Trump has continued to focus on the issue of immigration, escalating his rhetoric on undocumented immigrants he often paints as violent criminals.
Specifically, the former president has used Aurora and Springfield, Ohio, to emphasize his point, both examples stemming from viral online stories he’s been quick to promote, often without proper context.
His false narratives on Aurora began last month when a video of armed individuals roaming around an apartment complex in Aurora went viral among right-wing social media influencers.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks onstage during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (PHOTO: Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Trump, who has shared that video himself, has repeatedly claimed that members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang have “taken over” apartment complexes and “overrun” the city, despite the Aurora Police Department refuting allegations of the apartment complex being run by a Venezuelan gang.
Aurora’s Police Chief Todd Chamberlain has directly refuted Trump’s claims, saying in a press conference late last month that, “This is not an immigration issue. This is a crime issue.”
“We are not, by any means, overtaken by Venezuelan gangs,” he added.
The City of Aurora also provided clarity on the situation in a post on its official X account, stating that while there was a concern about a “small” presence of the Venezuelan gang members in Aurora, the city is taking the situation seriously. The city stressed that Aurora is a “safe community” and that reports of gang members are “isolated to a handful of problem properties alone.”
Still, Trump has continued to amplify these debunked stories to his supporters throughout the country as a rallying cry as he attacks the immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration.
In the press release announcing Friday’s event, the Trump campaign described Aurora as a “war zone,” arguing people were crossing the border and descending upon the city “bringing chaos and fear with them.”
Similarly, Trump has repeatedly amplified debunked claims that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Springfield.
Trump’s visit is one that he has been wanting to make for a while to bring more attention to the country’s immigration policies. At recent campaign rallies, Trump has become more vocal about his desire to visit Aurora and Springfield.
While the Republican mayor of Springfield, Rob Rue, discouraged visits from candidates on both sides of the aisle, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has presented the trip as a learning opportunity for the former president.
“The reality is, Donald Trump continues to tell economically damaging and hurtful lies about Aurora,” Polis said in a statement to ABC affiliate Denver7 amid ongoing discussions of a potential visit. “If former President Trump does visit, he will find the city of Aurora is a strong, vibrant, and diverse city of more than 400,000 hardworking Coloradans and a wonderful place to live, run a business, raise a family, and retire.”
Trump has launched attacks on the local and state officials on the campaign trail, often making baseless claims that Democratic Mayor Mike Coffman and Polis are “petrified,” saying Coffman “doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing” – and even claiming they don’t want to raise the immigration issue because they want to be “politically correct.”
Campaigning in Uniondale, New York, last month, Trump, while declaring that he planned to visit Aurora and Springfield soon, suggested that he might not make it back out after his visiting those places due to unspecified crime.
“I’m going to go there in the next two weeks. I’m going to Springfield, and I’m going to Aurora,” Trump said in Uniondale. “You may never see me again, but that’s OK. Got to do what I got to do. Whatever happened to Trump? ‘Well, he never got out of Springfield.’”
Trump’s visit to Aurora also comes as he’s pledged on the campaign trail to begin his promise of mass deportations in Springfield and Aurora.
“We’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country,” Trump said as he took reporter questions in Los Angeles, California, last month. “And we’re going to start with Springfield and Aurora, [Colorado].”
“We’re going to take those violent people, and we’re going to ship them back to their country, and if they come back in, they’re going to pay a hell of a price,” Trump also said.
Springfield has many Haitian residents who are either legally authorized to live and work in the U.S. or are protected from expulsion by law.
President Donald Trump is set to visit Aurora, Colorado in the coming weeks, following his controversial statements on migrants that have sparked widespread debate and criticism. The visit comes at a time when tensions around immigration policy are running high, with many questioning the administration’s approach to handling the influx of migrants at the southern border.
Trump’s visit to Aurora is expected to focus on his administration’s efforts to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration. The president has been a vocal advocate for stricter immigration policies, including building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and implementing tougher enforcement measures.
However, Trump’s recent comments on migrants have drawn sharp criticism from both Democrats and Republicans alike. In a recent tweet, the president referred to migrants as “invaders” and suggested that they should be deported without due process. These remarks have been widely condemned as inflammatory and dehumanizing, with many accusing Trump of using racist language to stoke fear and division.
The upcoming visit to Aurora is likely to be met with both support and opposition. Proponents of Trump’s immigration policies may see the visit as an opportunity to show their solidarity with the president and his efforts to secure the border. On the other hand, critics are expected to stage protests and demonstrations to voice their opposition to Trump’s divisive rhetoric and harsh immigration policies.
Aurora, a diverse and multicultural city located just outside of Denver, has a large immigrant population that has been directly impacted by Trump’s immigration policies. Many residents are concerned about the president’s inflammatory rhetoric and its potential impact on their communities.
As Trump prepares to visit Aurora, it is clear that his stance on immigration will continue to be a divisive issue that sparks heated debate and controversy. The president’s visit will likely serve as a flashpoint for discussions around immigration policy and the treatment of migrants, highlighting the deep divisions that exist within American society on this critical issue.
