Sen. JD Vance and ABC News host Martha Raddatz engaged in a heated exchange during an interview on Sunday. The discussion centered around the presence of migrant gangs in Aurora, Colorado, and statements made by former President Donald Trump about the issue.
Raddatz pressed Vance on the situation, stating that incidents were limited to a handful of apartment complexes and had been addressed by local police. “The incidents were limited to a handful of apartment complexes, and the mayor said our dedicated police officers have acted on those concerns,” Raddatz said. Vance responded forcefully, asking, “Martha, do you hear yourself?
Only a handful of apartment complexes in America were taken over by Venezuelan gangs, and Donald Trump is the problem and not Kamala Harris’ open border? Americans are so fed up with what’s going on, and they have every right to be.”
The discussion focused on several individuals with possible connections to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent Venezuelan migrant gang, after surveillance footage showing armed men breaking into an apartment went viral.
Migrant gangs and border policy debate
Vance argued that more stringent border policies were necessary to prevent such incidents. “When you let people in by the millions, most of whom are unvetted, most of whom you don’t know who they really are, you’re going to have problems like this. Kamala Harris’ 94 executive orders that undid Donald Trump’s successful border policies, we knew this stuff would happen,” he added.
Raddatz countered by pointing out that the gangs had not overtaken the city. “Let’s just end that with they did not invade or take over the city as Donald Trump said.”
Aurora, Colorado Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, issued a statement refuting Trump’s claims. “The reality is that the concerns about Venezuelan gang activity in our city – and our state – have been grossly exaggerated and have unfairly hurt the city’s identity and sense of safety.
The city and state have not been ‘taken over’ or ‘invaded’ or ‘occupied’ by migrant gangs. The incidents that have occurred in Aurora have been limited to a handful of specific apartment complexes, and our dedicated police officers have acted on those concerns and will continue to do so,” said Coffman. The exchange highlights the ongoing debate over immigration policies and their impact on local communities.
