Former President and Republican party nominee Donald Trump detailed his new Operation Aurora plan during a rally in Aurora, Colorado, on Friday.
The proposed federal-level program aims to crack down on the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The centuries-old law that was intended to target foreign criminal networks operating in the US.
What is ‘Operation Aurora’ and the Alien Enemies Act?
Trump’s Operation Aurora is made for the speedy removal of gang members, particularly those from Tren de Aragua.Trump wants to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to specifically target criminal networks formed by illegal immigrants. “We will dismantle every migrant criminal network on American soil,” Trump declared during his rally.
Trump further talked about the changes he believes have happened since he left office, blaming the Biden administration for the current state of the country.
“We’re a country in distress. We’re laughed at all over the world,” he said while criticising President Biden and vice president Kamala Harris. He believes that the current state of the nation is their failure to manage the nation’s security and immigration policies.
Trump’s message to Colorado
Speaking to his supporters, Trump focused on the rapidly increasing danger from illegal immigrant gangs, particularly the Tren de Aragua gang, which has been connected to violent crimes across the US.
Trump promised that if gets re-elected, his administration would deploy elite squads from ICE, Border Patrol, and federal law enforcement to track down, arrest, and deport every illegal immigrant gang member, ensuring none remain in the country.
“If they try to return, they will face an automatic ten-year prison sentence without parole,” he declared.
“And if they come back into our country, they will be told it is an automatic ten-year sentence in jail with no possibility of parole,” he added.
The former president also said he would call for “the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.”
Bashing the Biden-Harris administration Trump said, “My message today is simple,” Trump said. “No one who has inflicted the kind of violence and terror that Kamala Harris has allowed can ever be president.”
He assured Colorado voters that under his leadership, he would restore safety to the state, saying, “Colorado is going to vote for me because I am going to make you safe again and we’re going to do it fast.”
The rise of Tren de Aragua
Tren de Aragua is a gang that originated in Venezuelan prisons. Over the years this gang has spread across the US. In the country, an increasing number of violent incidents are tied to its members.
Trump referenced a recent incident in Aurora where gang members armed with rifles and handguns broke into an apartment and fatally shot a man. Three suspects, all illegal immigrants, had been previously in Border Patrol custody but were released into the US.
The gang has established a significant presence in Colorado, with reports of members taking control of apartment buildings in Aurora. In response to these growing threats, Trump promised that his administration would take aggressive action to dismantle the gang’s operations.
Despite the Biden administration’s July sanctions against Tren de Aragua, which classified the gang as a ‘significant transnational criminal organization,’ Trump said more action is needed.
While the administration has offered rewards up to $12 million for information on gang leaders and improved vetting, Trump claims that Operation Aurora aims for a more aggressive and direct approach to eliminate the gang’s presence in the country.