AURORA, Colo. — The national attention on the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Colorado could harm immigrants who are not associated with the gang, according to activists.
Videos of people alleging Venezuelan gang members are "taking over" Aurora have circulated on social media, particularly claims about an apartment complex the city is closing near Colfax and Peoria. One video depicts several males, who appear to be armed, attempting to break into an apartment unit at an unidentified complex. Neither the city nor the Aurora Police Department has confirmed those claims.
Activists told Denver7 the headlines are making life harder for the vast majority of immigrants who recently came to Colorado and have nothing to do with TdA.
"That screams to me 'racist.' It screams to me that it's capitalizing on a political opportunity to push hate against immigrants," said Nate Kassa, a community organizer for the East Colfax Community Collective.
The organization helps people, including migrants, find housing. Kassa said the job has only gotten harder with the increasing attention on Tren de Aragua.
"When this narrative goes out, especially recently, there is sometimes a little bit of a hesitancy to reach out and try to support these people," said Kassa.
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César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a Colorado-based immigration professor at The Ohio State University, said the situation is more complex than people may understand at first glance.
"I think folks should be worried, should be concerned," said García Hernández. "My fear is that people will simply hear the [Aurora] mayor and city council members lay blame on Venezuelan migrants and not listen to the more nuanced conversation in which they actually disclose that they don't really know who these people are."
In a new statement, the City of Aurora on Wednesday confirmed that "components" of the Venezuelan gang are operating in Aurora but said "reports of TdA influence... are isolated." Ryan Luby, deputy director of the city's communications and marketing department, said Aurora PD has established a special task force with other partners to investigate TdA and "other criminal activity affecting migrant communities."
TdA started out as a prison gang in Venezuela and has expanded throughout the Western Hemisphere. In July, the Biden administration designated the gang as a transnational criminal organization, accusing it of engaging in human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering and illicit drug trafficking.
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Denver7 reached out to Homeland Security Investigations about TdA's presence in Colorado. A spokesperson for the agency said it "is aware of recent violent crime and arrests in Colorado involving individuals allegedly associated with the Tren de Aragua gang and continues to assess emerging trends and assist partner law enforcement agencies."
Kassa is concerned that resources for law-abiding immigrant families could dwindle if the public loses sight of them.
"So many families, kids, children and residents were really harmed by this narrative," he said.
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