Aurora official livid after suspected migrant gang members detained in home invasion: ‘I told you so’

Nineteen suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were detained this week following a violent home invasion that left two Aurora residents hospitalized. The incident has sparked renewed outrage from City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who has long warned about rising migrant-related crime in the city.

"This is unfortunately not something you want to be able to say I told you so on, but I told you so," Jurinsky said during an interview on ‘Fox & Friends’ Wednesday. 

"Nobody wanted to listen to me. This very much turned into political theater leading up to the presidential election. Many people have suffered."

According to Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, the suspects entered an apartment at a complex that had previously been the center of gang-related violence. The suspects allegedly took two victims to another unit, where they were beaten, pistol-whipped, and threatened.

"This isn’t just assault. This isn’t just fistfights. This is absolute torture," said Jurinsky, referencing claims that the female victim’s fingernails were forcibly removed. A male victim suffered a stab wound, but both are expected to recover.

Chief Chamberlain, who took office in September, described the attack as "a gang incident" during a press conference on Tuesday, but stopped short of confirming what group the suspects were affiliated with. "So, does this fall into the category of torture for me? Yeah, it does," he said.

Jurinsky has been vocal about her concerns regarding migrant-related crime, particularly the growing presence of Tren de Aragua (TDA), a violent gang that originated in Venezuela. A previous incident at the same apartment complex, involving TDA members pounding on doors and brandishing weapons, gained national attention earlier this year.

"Once the Americans were moved out of the complex. This is the most vulnerable population left. These are other migrants. Some of them don’t even realize where they are. They were simply dropped off in the middle of the night in some cases." 

The gang’s growing footprint in the United States has raised alarms at both local and federal levels. Texas Congressman Troy Nehls, R-Texas, recently stated that TDA now operates in 17 states. Members of the gang have also been linked to other high-profile crimes, including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. 

Jurinsky has pointed to federal immigration policies under the Biden administration as a contributing factor to the rise of TDA in the United States. Telling Fox’s Laura Ingraham in September, "These folks are a product of our current administration’s failed border policies. American citizens have had to suffer because of it." 

A recent New York Times report confirmed that the Biden administration oversaw the highest net immigration numbers in U.S. history – much of that due to illegal immigration. 

President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to prioritize mass deportations during his second term, made Aurora a pivotal campaign message ahead of the election. 

During an October 11th rally in Aurora, the President-elect announced "Operation Aurora," a plan to target undocumented immigrants with gang ties. Trump says he intends to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to "expedite the removal of these savage gangs."

While Jurinsky remains critical of the city’s previous leadership, she expressed support for Chief Chamberlain’s transparency and commitment to tackling the issue. "He has made clear that we will not stand for this. It is a new day in the Aurora police chief’s office."

For now, Aurora residents wait to see whether these arrests will mark a turning point in the fight against TDA and other violent groups infiltrating the city.