AURORA, Colo.—At a large rally in Aurora, Colorado, former President Donald Trump expanded on his vision for mass deportation, saying he would use the 1798 Alien Enemies Act as a tool.
“We will have an Operation Aurora at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs,” Trump said, adding that the operation would “target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”
He said his own Operation Aurora was named after the Colorado community where he spoke, as was a similar effort by law enforcement in San Antonio. Like Aurora, San Antonio has been roiled by the transnational Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, or TDA.
It was invoked during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II.
“We will send elite squads of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], Border Patrol, and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest, and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country,” Trump said, drawing cheers from the crowd. He added that any who returned would be liable to a 10-year prison sentence without parole.
“I’m hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer,” he said.
Midway through his remarks, Trump invited onto the stage Cindy Romero, a local resident who captured a video of criminal activity in her Aurora apartment building that went viral, vaulting the community into the media spotlight.
“This isn’t just affecting me. This is affecting all of you as well,” Romero told the crowd, urging them to reelect the man who stood behind her.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The line to get inside the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center stretched for at least a mile.
Meanwhile, not everyone was there in support of the 45th president. A small group of protesters greeted attendees as they left the resort complex. In addition, ahead of Trump’s visit, Mike Coffman, the mayor of Aurora, said accounts of crime were overstated.
Illegal Immigrant Crime a Major Theme
Illegal immigrant crime figured in speeches from Colorado Republicans who preceded Trump.One speaker was U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who is running to represent the Republican-leaning 4th Congressional District.
“Venezuelan gangs are extorting and harassing people,” Boebert said before accusing the media of downplaying or denying such criminal activities in her state.
U.S. Rep. Greg Lopez (R-Colo.), who currently represents the district Boebert is vying to represent, also discussed illegal immigrant crime. He did not challenge her in the 4th district’s primary. She is running for that district’s seat after moving across the state and bowing out of a race in the 3rd district, where she was slated for a rematch against Adam Frisch, a Democrat who nearly beat her in 2022.
Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams and Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly also took the stage, as did Republican congressional hopefuls Jeff Crank, who is running in the safely Republican 5th district, and Gabe Evans, a former police officer challenging freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) in the closely divided 8th district. Evans vowed to flip the seat.
“Some of these migrants are hardened criminals,” Weekly said.
Stephen Miller, a longtime Trump adviser and noted critic of illegal immigration, delivered remarks ahead of the former president.
Miller said Colorado, currently perceived as a blue state, has an opportunity to “shock the world” by voting Trump.
