Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, veered away from the battleground states on Friday to visit Aurora, Colorado, a suburb that has been in the news over illegal immigration. His visit was part of a broader strategy to capitalize on public anxieties about immigration, often employing false or misleading claims and dehumanizing language to paint a picture of migrants causing chaos in smaller American cities and towns.
Trump’s rally in Aurora marked the first time either presidential campaign visited Colorado ahead of the November election, a state that consistently votes Democratic statewide. He has long promised to execute the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and has centered his political persona around immigration since launching his first campaign in 2015.
Recently, Trump has specifically targeted smaller communities experiencing significant migrant arrivals, where tensions have flared over resource allocation and some longtime residents have expressed distrust over rapid demographic shifts. Aurora gained national attention in August when a video circulated showing armed men walking through an apartment building housing Venezuelan migrants. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Venezuelan gangs are taking over buildings, despite authorities stating that the incident was isolated to a single block near Denver and the area is now safe.
Ignoring these denials from local authorities, Trump presented a narrative of apartment complexes overrun by “barbaric thugs” and streets unsafe to travel. He blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rivals, for this perceived crisis. “They’re ruining your state,” Trump declared, referring to the Democrats in the White House. “No person who has inflicted the violence and terror that Kamala Harris has inflicted on this community can ever be allowed to become the president of the United States,” Trump added.
Trump frequently used dehumanizing language, calling his political opponents “scum” and migrants “animals” who have “invaded and conquered” Aurora. He labelled the town “infected by Venezuela” and stated, “We have to clean out our country.” He resurrected the first controversy of his political career, echoing his 2016 campaign launch statement that migrants are rapists and bring drugs and crime. “I took a lot of heat for saying it, but I was right,” Trump proclaimed on Friday, repeating the false claim that other countries are emptying their prisons and mental institutions and dumping their worst criminals in the United States.
To thunderous applause, he called for the death penalty “for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.” Later on Friday in Reno, Nevada, Trump asserted that the U.S. is “an occupied country” and added, “I make this vow to you: Nov. 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America. Liberation day.”
Trump announced in Colorado that, as president, he would launch “Operation Aurora” focused on deporting members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, or TDA. This violent gang traces its origins to an infamously lawless prison over a decade ago, where hardened criminals were housed. Trump also reiterated his pledge to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law that empowers the president to deport any noncitizen from a country at war with the U.S. In July, the Biden administration imposed sanctions against the gang and offered $12 million in rewards for the arrest of three leaders.
Aurora resident Jodie Powell, 54, attended Trump’s rally. She stated that “it’s not the case” that Venezuelan gangs have taken over the city, as Trump claims. However, Powell admitted to witnessing an increase in crime she attributes to newcomers, citing a police chase that ended at a store where she was shopping. “It takes a small amount of people to make a big difference in the community,” said Powell, who considers immigration her top concern alongside the economy. “It’s scary, it’s a scary thing.”
At the venue where Trump appeared, posters displayed mug shots of individuals in prison-orange with descriptions including “Illegal immigrant gang members from Venezuela.” “Look at all these photos around me,” Stephen Miller, a former top aide expected to hold a senior position in the White House if Trump wins, told the crowd. “Are these the kids you grew up with? Are these the neighbours you were raised with? Are these the neighbours that you want in your city?” The crowd roared “no” in reply.
Some Colorado officials, including the Republican mayor of Aurora, accused Trump and other Republicans of exaggerating problems in the city. “Again, the reality is that the concerns about Venezuelan gang activity in our city — and our state — have been grossly exaggerated and have unfairly hurt the city’s identity and sense of safety,” said Mike Coffman, a former U.S. congressman.
Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have also spread false information about a community in Springfield, Ohio, where they claimed Haitian immigrants were accused of stealing and eating pets. While Ohio and Colorado are not competitive in the presidential race, the Republican message on immigration is aimed at states that are. Vance recently campaigned in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a city of 70,000 that has resettled refugees from Africa and Asia, promoting Trump’s plan to escalate deportations. He argues that smaller communities have been “overrun” by immigrants straining local resources.
Trump has vowed to deport not only “criminals,” a promise he shares with Harris, but also Haitians living legally in Springfield and even individuals he has labelled as “pro-Hamas radicals” protesting on college campuses. Trump has stated he would revoke the temporary protected status that allows Haitians to stay in the U.S. due to widespread poverty and violence in their home nation.
Harris, on the other hand, has shifted her stance on immigration to the right, portraying herself as a candidate capable of being tough on border security, addressing what is perceived as one of her most significant vulnerabilities. She concluded a three-day western swing with a campaign event on Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she pledged to establish a bipartisan council of advisors to provide feedback on her policy initiatives if she becomes president. “I love good ideas wherever they come from,” said Harris, who is making an effort to gain support from Republicans who are hesitant about Trump.
She also accused Trump of allowing Iran “off the hook” during his presidency and argued that she would be a stronger advocate for Israel’s security. “Make no mistake, as president, I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend American forces and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists,” Harris declared in a call with Jewish supporters ahead of Yom Kippur. “And I will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Diplomacy is my preferred path to that end. But all options are on the table.”
Harris alleged that Trump “did nothing” after Iran “attacked U.S. bases and American troops.” This criticism was directed at Trump for downplaying a January 2020 missile attack by Iran on a U.S. base in Iraq that resulted in several American troops suffering concussion-like symptoms, some of whom required evacuation for treatment. Trump earlier this month described the injuries as a “headache.”
The Iranian missile attack followed Trump’s order for a strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
Harris participated virtually in a White House briefing with President Biden on the recovery effort from hurricanes Milton and Helene. She aimed to reassure those affected by the hurricanes that they would receive assistance from the government.
