In a letter sent Friday, Republican lawmakers blamed the Biden-Harris administration's “open borders” and local “sanctuary” policies for contributing to a case in which Venezuelan gangs reportedly terrorized several apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado.
“The Biden-Harris Administration's open border policies, combined with Colorado's sanctuary policies and Denver's sanctuary city status, are fueling and exacerbating Colorado's migration crisis,” the lawmakers said in the letter, obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
NEW YORK: The mayor of Aurora, Colorado, suggested the federal government may have provided funding to bring Venezuelan gangsters to Aurora.
Armed gangs took over apartments and acted as landlords to collect rent. Now they control parts of the city where violent crime is soaring. pic.twitter.com/UcfGI9Z2hB
— TikTok Library (@libsoftiktok) August 30, 2024
The Denver-based law firm Perkins Coy conducted the investigation and determined that TdA will begin acquiring the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora in late 2023. According to Since then, he told CBS News, the gang has engaged in numerous acts of violence, intimidation, extortion and child prostitution.
“Several local elected officials and the nonpartisan Perkins Coy law firm, which was retained to investigate the takeover, have identified numerous criminal activities committed by TdA gang members, including death threats, robbery, extortion, trespass, assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug-related crimes, stolen vehicles, human trafficking, and sexual abuse of minors,” the letter reads.
In one instance, a consultant for a property management company was “beaten and stomped so badly by gang members that he had to go to the hospital,” according to CBS News. The migrants also allegedly stabbed a resident who refused to pay “rent” to the gang. (Related: Biden administration 'strongly' opposes bill to crack down on voting for illegal immigrants)
Republicans blamed the Biden-Harris border crisis.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been appointed the administration's “border official,” has overseen more than 10 million encounters with migrants since taking office in January 2021 alongside President Joe Biden. According to To CBP data.
As migrants continue to flow into the country, the city of Denver has spent more than $70 million since January 2024 to provide housing, transportation and food to more than 40,000 undocumented immigrants. According to In the Denver Gazette.
“Non-sanctuary cities and neighboring communities are harmed by these policies and do not have the resources or authority to mitigate the influx of illegal immigrants and TdA gang members,” the letter reads.
The Republican letter was addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Patrick Reckleitner, Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Director Katrina Berger and Colorado's Democratic Governor Jared Polis.
Police Local government officials initially denied reports of an immigrant takeover, calling it the “figment of Aurora City Councilman Daniel Jurinski's imagination.”
“The Governor has already advised mayors that the state stands ready to assist local law enforcement with assistance from the State Police and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if necessary,” said Shelby Wieman, a spokeswoman for Governor Polis. said “But police sources say the alleged break-in was largely the product of Daniel Jurinski's imagination,” the New York Post reported.
The White House press office, the Harris campaign and Polis' office did not immediately respond to DCNF's requests for comment.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
