Editing Aurora, Colorado (section)

=== 2024 U.S. Presidential Election ===
Aurora was thrust into national media coverage during the run-up to the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 U.S. presidential election]]. In September 2024, statements made by mayor Mike Coffman and city council member Danielle Jurinsky, both Republicans, fueled a rumor that the Venezuelan [[Tren de Aragua]] gang had taken control of an Aurora apartment complex and was extorting residents for their rent money. Jurinsky appeared on [[Fox News]] to assert that others questioning her claims were engaged in "a huge cover-up" and this "isn't just an Aurora issue." The rumor spread across right-wing media before the two officials backpedaled from their original assertions. Presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]] became aware of the rumor and repeated it multiple times during his September 10 debate with [[Kamala Harris]], and subsequently scheduled a campaign rally in Aurora.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alvarez |first1=Alayna |title=Aurora leaders backtrack on "overstated" claims of Venezuelan gang activity |url=https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/09/11/aurora-venezuelan-gang-arrests-mike-coffman-danielle-jurinsky |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |date=September 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Acevedo |first1=Nicole |title=What led to rumors Trump shared about Venezuelan gangs taking over a Colorado building? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-debate-venezuelan-gangs-colorado-rcna170255 |publisher=NBC News |date=September 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-26 |title=Police identify three more people from viral video of armed men inside Aurora apartment complex |url=https://www.denver7.com/news/front-range/aurora/police-identify-three-more-people-from-viral-video-of-armed-men-inside-aurora-apartment-complex |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Tori |date=2024-08-30 |title=Venezuelan gang activity confirmed by Aurora officials after release of Colorado woman's surveillance video - CBS Colorado |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-venezuelan-gang-activity-aurora-crime-woman-moves-video-guns/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Mayor Coffman then pushed back against Trump's claims that the city was overrun by Venezuelan gangs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-10 |title=Trump seizes on one block of a Colorado city to warn of migrant crime threat, even as crime dips |url=https://www.fox16.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-trump-seizes-on-one-block-of-a-colorado-city-to-warn-of-migrant-crime-threat-even-as-crime-dips/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=KLRT - FOX16.com |language=en-US}}</ref> At the October 11 rally at Aurora's Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric and proposed an "Operation Aurora" to remove undocumented immigrants connected to gangs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Waddick |first=Karissa |title=Trump proposes 'Operation Aurora,' escalates migrant rhetoric at Colo. rally: 3 takeaways |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/11/trump-operation-aurora-colorado/75617416007/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> At a press conference held the same day at Aurora's [[Stanley Marketplace]] to denounce Trump's rally, Colorado Governor [[Jared Polis]] said, "We welcome the eyes of the nation on a true Colorado gem, the great city of Aurora."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Birkeland |first1=Bente |last2=DeMare · |first2=Kiara |date=2024-10-11 |title=In a long but cheerful line, Trump supporters await their candidate in Aurora |url=https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/11/donald-trump-aurora-colorado-visit/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Colorado Public Radio |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff |date=2024-10-11 |title=Colorado Dems skewer Trump in Aurora ahead of campaign rally at Gaylord |url=https://sentinelcolorado.com/metro/colorado-dems-skewer-trump-in-aurora-ahead-of-campaign-rally-at-gaylord/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Sentinel Colorado |language=en-US}}</ref>
Following Trump's inauguration, [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] conducted raids targeting suspected Tren de Aragua gang members in Aurora and Denver.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-raid-aurora-arrests-venezuelan-gang/story?id=118483334 |title=ICE carries out raid in Colorado, 100 members of Venezuelan gang targeted for arrest: Officials |first1=Nadine |last1=El-Bawab |first2=Jeffrey |last2=Cook |first3=Luke |last3=Barr |website=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/05/colorado-ice-raid-targets-immigrant-gang-members/78248926007/|title=Trump's promised immigration raids hit Colorado cities|first=Trevor Hughes and Rick|last=Jervis|website=USA TODAY}}</ref> In an address to Congress on March 4, 2025, Trump picked up his narrative again, claiming that immigrants have “destroyed” Aurora and that the city has “buckled under the weight of migrant occupation.”<ref>{{cite web | url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/us/aurora-colorado-apartments-closing-gang-activity/index.html | title=Colorado apartment complex where armed gang members were seen on video will be closed | date=January 14, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |last2=Price |first2=Michelle L. |date=2025-03-05 |title=Trump falsely says Aurora 'buckled,' 'destroyed' by immigrants, gangs; promises unrelenting action' for US change |url=https://sentinelcolorado.com/metro/trump-says-aurora-buckled-destroyed-by-immigrants-gangs-promises-to-keep-unrelenting-action-for-massive-change/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=[[Sentinel Colorado]] |language=en-US |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://denvergazette.com/aurora/aurora-tren-de-aragua-venezuelan-gang-police-todd-chamberlain/article_87f18a91-831c-411a-b89d-43a63e6d28d7.html | title=Aurora's new police chief confronts Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua | date=March 22, 2025 }}</ref> Coffman expressed disappointment and characterized the remarks as "undeserved".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Kyla |date=2025-03-06 |title=Trump claimed Aurora is a 'beautiful town destroyed' by illegal immigration |url=https://denvergazette.com/aurora/aurora-tda-gang-donald-trump-crime-congressional-address/article_0531e0be-f9f8-11ef-8255-87183d29fc0f.html |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=[[Denver Gazette]] |language=en}}</ref>