Colorado residents and community leaders react to Trump visit

AURORA, Colo. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Community leaders and residents in Aurora, Colorado addressed former President Trump's visit to the city and his claims of a migrant crime threat.

Several apartments have made national news over inaccurate claims that they have been overtaken by a Venezuelan gang.

"A story about a slumlord taking advantage of residents, migrants could somehow be spun into this," said Crystal Murillo, a councilwoman for the City of Aurora.

Last month, Aurora city leaders and the city's police department issued a joint statement, saying the Venezuelan gang's impact was isolated to a few properties.

"Our police department is literally saying there's not a hostile takeover of this gang in Aurora, but we are just selectively ignoring when it feels convenient to listen to an uplift, our police or not," Murillo shared.

Those in the community say they are fed-up with the spreading of misinformation, and the use of migrants as scapegoats rather than addressing real issues the community is seeing.

"Trump lies are dangerous and dishonest. They're meant to drive us apart when we are just trying to find ways to live together as a community and they're trying to create a reality or paint a picture that's just not true," said Henry Sandman, Co-Executive Director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Some of those problems are a lack of affordable housing and properties kept in poor conditions.