Donald Trump will hold an immigration rally Friday in Aurora, Colorado, where he has described the area as a “war zone” overrun with Venezuelan gang members, a claim local officials have denied.
Trump has made the 400,000-resident Denver suburb a symbol of what he calls “migrant crime” that he says is a result of high levels of illegal immigration under Democrat President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his main election rival.
Immigration is a top voter concern in the run-up to the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Trump has claimed that immigrants are linked to a rise in crime in the U.S.
“Aurora, Colorado has become a ‘war zone’ due to the influx of violent Venezuelan prison gang members from Tren de Aragua,” the Trump campaign said in a statement announcing the rally.
During a Sept. 10 presidential debate with Harris, Trump claimed that members of Tren de Aragua controlled several dilapidated Aurora apartment complexes — allegations refuted by top city officials.