America First Legal has launched multiple investigations into the Biden-Harris administration, accusing it of mishandling the U.S. southern border, which the group claims has allowed violent migrant gangs to flourish in parts of Colorado and the Midwest.
America First Legal (AFL), a conservative nonprofit, announced Thursday that it has launched an investigation alleging that Biden-Harris immigration policies have contributed to the rise of violent gang activity in U.S. communities, AFL said in a Thursday press release.
The group's actions focus on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), among others.
The AFL's inquiries were prompted by the recent arrests of 10 members of the Tren de Aragua gang in Aurora, Colorado.
Surveillance footage from an apartment complex in the area overtaken by gang members went viral in late August. Tren de Aragua, a transnational prison gang from Venezuela, has been tied to human trafficking, drug smuggling, and firearms offenses and is said to have around 5,000 members.
"The Biden-Harris administration's deliberate decision to open our borders to the world is what allowed for violent Venezuelan gangs to run rampant in American communities," said AFL Executive Director Gene Hamilton. He added that the crimes committed by the gang "are — by definition — preventable."
The AFL has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for documents dating back to Jan. 21, 2021, when President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris assumed office. The group's investigation zeroes in on specific regions where Tren de Aragua activity has been documented, including Aurora, Colorado, and parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Vice President Harris, initially tasked with addressing the migration crisis as the administration's "Border Czar," has distanced herself from that role in the past few years. AFL alleges that her departure from the responsibility has exacerbated the problem. Hamilton noted that if Harris were serious about curbing foreign gang activity, she would "secure the border and deport illegal aliens."
In February 2021, Harris was appointed by Biden to lead the "Root Causes Strategy," aimed at addressing migration from Central America. Despite criticism, the administration has maintained its support for the strategy, with the White House affirming Harris' role as recently as March.
According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, there have been 9.5 million illegal alien encounters since Biden took office, including 1.7 million "gotaways" —individuals who avoided apprehension and remained in the U.S. unlawfully.
In Aurora, two of the arrested Tren de Aragua members were released despite ICE detention requests, further fueling AFL's criticism of the administration's immigration enforcement. Similar gang activity has been recorded in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where a 26-year-old gang member was arrested on domestic battery charges and found with falsified U.S. immigration documents.
Tren de Aragua's influence is believed to have spread across at least five states, with suspected operations in Illinois and Texas.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.