Legal watchdog group America First Legal is initiating a series of investigations into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to examine the escalating threat posed by violent foreign gangs across several states.
In a press release, AFL spotlighted recent reports and unsettling footage from Aurora, Colorado, where reports claimed that members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) allegedly seized control of an entire apartment complex.
A surveillance video from August 29, which went viral, showed armed gang members patrolling the building’s hallways, drawing national attention. Residents have since reported incidents of blatant trespassing, assault and battery, unlawful firearm possession, and other criminal activities by the gang, according to the AFL.
Later that week, on Thursday, September 5, 2024, authorities in western Wisconsin arrested an individual suspected of being a Tren de Aragua member on multiple domestic violence charges, said the release.
“These gang members would not be present if the United States had a secure southern border,” AFL charged.
As a result, AFL has requested records from the DHS and FBI regarding the presence of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang in Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the right-leaning organization is seeking state-level records of communications between local law enforcement and the federal government to reveal any information the Biden-Harris administration may have received about this emerging threat to public safety.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s deliberate decision to open our borders to the world is what allowed for violent Venezuelan gangs to run rampant in American communities,” said AFL Executive Director Gene Hamilton.
“The crimes committed by these aliens are—by definition—preventable, but this administration has decided to ignore public safety and prioritize the importation of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens,” he continued. “If Border Czar Harris were serious about eliminating the threat of foreign gang behavior in the United States, she would secure the border and deport illegal aliens from the United States. It’s that simple.”
The organization also posted .pdf files of its records requests from more than a dozen federal and state agencies.
Last month, Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, blasted Harris in a fiery interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker after the host attempted to defend the vice president’s record on the border following nearly four years of record crossings and increased crime by migrants in the U.S. illegally.
“Well, we have to start with the foundational issue here, which is we have 25 million illegal aliens in this country right now because Kamala Harris has refused to do her job,” Vance began.
Welker pushed back, saying, “I have, very quickly, DHS says it’s much lower, it’s closer to eight million. Where do you get the 25 million from?”
“Well, I think the 25 million are the people that should’ve been deported that maybe weren’t deported, plus you add another 12 to 15 million that have come in since Kamala Harris. Look, whatever the number is —” Vance tried again.
“DHS disputes that number, for the record. They say it’s closer to eight to ten million, but please continue,” Welker repeated her objection.
“Fair, but I think there are reasons to think that DHS is underestimating. Whatever the number is, it’s way too high, right?” Vance said of the ongoing crisis. “It’s millions upon millions of illegal immigrants that have come in just since Kamala became border czar a few years ago. The first thing —”
“She was put in charge of the root causes of migration,” Welker interrupted.
“Well, the root cause of migration, I would say, Kristen, is that Kamala Harris refuses to do her job as Border Czar,” Vance fired back.
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