Aurora, Colorado – On a near-freezing afternoon in a grocery store parking lot, a man held up a cardboard sign with his immigration status asking for help. Next to him, a woman and at least one child sat on the ground, their shoulders hunched in the biting breeze.

For people living in Aurora and the greater Denver area, attractions like this have become ubiquitous. Immigrants living on the streets either ask for money or run to cars, stopping at intersections with squeegees in hand to try to make a quick buck by cleaning windshields.

Less obvious to ordinary Aurora residents are the violent gang crimes that catapulted this city of about 400,000 people into national prominence.

“We’ve seen extortion, murder, kidnapping,” said John Fabbricatore, former ICE Denver field office director, referring to alleged ties to Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. de Aragua).

These problems "are a direct result of what's happened at the border over the last four years and allowing all these unvetted people to come in. We don't know who they are. Now we have more gang members coming into border communities," Fabbricatore added.

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one viral video Last August, the incident of Venezuelan gang members suspected of carrying guns through an Aurora apartment complex drew attention to immigration issues in the Denver area. President-elect Donald Trump visited the city last fall during his re-election campaign, detailing his Operation Aurora.

"After taking office, we will launch 'Operation Aurora' at the federal level to expedite the removal of these brutal gangs," Trump said at a rally on October 11. He said he would use the Foreign Enemy Act of 1798 to “target and dismantle every immigration criminal network operating on U.S. soil.”

While local police initially denied that gang members had "taken over" the Edge at Lowry Apartments, local media reported this week that a judge issued an emergency order to the city to close the 60-unit complex. The city calls the complex "an epicenter of serious violent crime and property crime," citing the kidnapping and torture of an immigrant couple at the apartment complex in December by suspected TdA members.

Nine men were charged this week in connection with the crime.

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The arrests followed a blistering op-ed by Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, accusing Denver's mayor of moving immigrants to the larger city "through the cover of two nonprofits." small cities, and prevent the City of Aurora from finding out how many immigrants have been apprehended. was stored in the city.

“Aurora has suffered a national embarrassment that has damaged our city’s image and may have lasting economic consequences,” Kauffman, a Republican, wrote. “As Mayor of Aurora, I ask Mike Johns Mayor Dayton was transparent and told the truth about what he was doing."

A spokesperson for Johnston's office previously told Fox News Digital that "Denver has not directed any nonprofits or agencies to place newcomers in Aurora."

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain declined to be interviewed for this story. Mayor Coffman's office did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.

Fabricatore said both mayors "tried to ignore" the issue of illegal immigration, especially when TdA first entered the community.

"There's a huge lack of communication between Aurora and Denver," he said. "Both mayors need to step up and admit we have a criminal, illegal, alien problem, we have a gang problem and that's what needs to be addressed."

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Fabricatore praises Trump's appointment of former ICE acting director Tom Homan as "border czar," calling Homan a "cop's cop" and predicting federal agents will be able to target "criminal illegal aliens." Conduct "targeted enforcement."

People living in Aurora interviewed by Fox News Digital generally said they feel safe in the city and are not personally aware of gang issues.

Al, who moved to Aurora from Chicago four years ago, said Colorado's crime rate "is nothing in comparison."

"I know a lot of people complain about the gang problem, but I personally don't even notice it," he said. "The only real problem I see here is the homeless population, which is quite high, and I do feel for them."

An analysis by Denver Local 7 found overall crime in the city of about 400,000 people fell slightly in the first eight months of 2024 compared with last year. Police data shows that while gang-related assaults did surge by 33% compared with 2023, the five-year average of reported crimes showed a significant drop in such attacks from 513 to 221.

Locals are divided over whether to support Trump's promised mass deportations.

"If they came in illegally, they need to go back and come in the right way," Roosevelt told Fox News Digital.

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But Clarence, who is from Memphis, Tenn., worries about the impact it will have on immigrants who have lived in the area for decades.

“These people have always been here,” he said. "How are you going to get these people out of the house? I don't understand that. They've been here longer than I have."

Robert briefly suggested that ICE "deport Trump."

Trump has previously said deporting criminal illegal immigrants is a top priority, but his administration is prepared to target other law-abiding immigrants later.