Contradicting Trump, Aurora police chief says city is still 'very safe'

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump painted a grim picture of Colorado's third-largest city at a rally here Friday as he again claimed it was invaded by a Venezuelan prison gang. But the city's police chief told NBC News that Aurora was still “very safe.”

“It’s not overrun. Without question, Aurora is still a very safe city. “It’s still a wonderful community that is incredibly diverse,” Todd Chamberlain said. Although there is some gang activity, he added, “We hope to ensure that this gang does not grow.”

On the trail, Trump has singled out a particular Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua, known as TDA, after a social media clip went viral last month claiming the gang had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora. Police at the time said there was no evidence the gang had taken over the complex, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, called Trump's descriptions “inaccurate.”

At his rally on Friday, Trump said that immigrants from “the dungeons of the Third World, from prisons and jails, insane asylums and mental institutions” had preyed on “innocent Americans” across the country.

“And nowhere is it more obvious than here,” he continued, “as several apartment complexes in Aurora have been taken over by the brutal Venezuelan prison gang.”

The narrative that immigrants have taken over the United States is central to Trump's re-election campaign. With increasingly inflammatory rhetoric, Trump has also attacked other suburban areas with immigrant populations. Last month, he and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, were rebuked by local leaders after they repeatedly claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were kidnapping and eating pets.

At his rally on Friday, Trump said he would “save Aurora and every city that was invaded.” He announced a plan called Operation Aurora, which would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport members of the TDA and other gangs.

Chamberlain emphasized in his interview with NBC News that he does not want to participate in a mass deportation and that regardless of immigration status, it is the job of law enforcement to bring justice for crimes committed.

“It's not about us deciding whether you are documented or not. Our job is to make sure that if you commit crimes we hold you accountable or if you become a victim we stand with you and give you the support and things you need,” he said.

When asked to respond to Chamberlain's comments, Trump's campaign spokeswoman pointed to a series of news articles about gang violence that she posted on X.