Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, on Sunday argued that the city of Aurora has “made a turning point” on crime, despite reports that Venezuelan gangs had taken over apartment complexes, and said Democrats should have an advantage on immigration.
Police initially Denied The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has taken over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, despite local television reports. On-air video Polis called gang activity a figment of local leaders' “imagination” and praised Aurora as a “diverse” city that said crime had decreased over the past two years. (RELATED: Ilhan Omar says thousands of Haitian immigrants who flocked to Springfield actually boosted the city)
“I went shopping in Aurora yesterday,” Polis told “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan. “What a lot of Americans should know is that Aurora is over 400,000 people, it's the third largest city in Colorado. Violent crime has gone down for two years in a row, auto theft has gone down for two years in a row. It's a great city. I'm there all the time. It's a really great, diverse city, it's growing fast. It's probably going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 city in Colorado in the next 10 or 20 years. So Aurora is a great city, and it's safer than it's ever been. And Aurora, like other cities – Chicago, Los Angeles, mid-size cities, Denver – we've had gang problems for decades, but it feels like we're finally getting over it.”
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In a Sept. 6 letter, House Republicans said the situation in Aurora is the result of the Biden administration's open border policy.
Polis said the Biden administration is trying to address the problem of illegal immigration, but blamed Republicans for the failure of a bill combining foreign aid and border security negotiated by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The bill has faced opposition from Republicans, who argue it will be a “magnet” for future illegal immigrants.
“[President] With Joe Biden [Vice President] “Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, Kamala Harris, had an actual bill in front of them to make the investments we need in border security,” Polis argued, adding that he had visited the border himself.
“I believe Kamala Harris is the person who is going to actually solve the border issues, rather than perpetuating them for purely political reasons and to divide us,” Polis said. “We need someone who can bring us together, and of course that includes border security.” (Related: Janet Yellen argues that deporting illegal immigrants would worsen inflation)
“I think she talks about it as one of the issues. We need to make America safer. We need to secure the border. She had a plan for that. It was blocked by Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Polis argued after Brennan asked if Vice President Kamala Harris should debate the issue. “So I think this is a perfect issue for people to come out and debate in the election and an issue where Democrats should have a huge advantage. Republicans have failed time and time again to secure the border.”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol has encountered approximately 7.4 million illegal immigrants since the start of fiscal year 2021. ReportedTren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang believed to operate out of Aurora, Colorado, has committed high-profile crimes across the United States, including murder and kidnapping.
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