Legal watchdog group America First Legal is launching a series of investigations into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The investigations will focus on violent foreign gang activity, which is increasingly threatening several states.
In a press release, AFL highlighted recent reports and disturbing footage from Aurora, Colorado, where members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) reportedly took control of an entire apartment complex. A viral surveillance video from August 29 showed armed gang members patrolling the building’s corridors, capturing national attention. Residents have reported that gang members engaged in blatant trespassing, assault and battery, unlawful firearm possession, and other criminal activities.
The press release also highlighted a recent incident in Chicago, where authorities were alerted to similar gang-related activity in a residential building involving Venezuelan gang members. Later that week, on Thursday, September 5, 2024, authorities in western Wisconsin arrested an individual suspected of being a Tren de Aragua member on multiple domestic violence charges. “These gang members would not be present if the United States had a secure southern border,” AFL wrote.
In response, the legal group has filed several requests for records from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the presence of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang in Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The Trump-aligned legal group is also demanding records concerning contact between state and federal law enforcement in order to “uncover any and all communications that the Biden-Harris administration may have received about this rising threat to public safety.”
“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. The crimes committed by these aliens are—by definition—preventable, but this administration has decided to ignore public safety and prioritize the importation of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens,” said America First Legal Executive Director Gene Hamilton. “If Border Czar Harris were serious about eliminating the threat of foreign gang behavior in the United States, she would secure the border and deport illegal aliens from the United States. It’s that simple.”
Last week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit against the Biden-Harris administration for not responding to a previous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking information on policies that allow the release of dangerous illegal immigrant criminals from federal prisons.
Moody’s office submitted the complaint to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Fort Myers. The complaint addresses the federal government’s failure to respond to Florida’s FOIA request from March, which sought details on why immigrants who have completed their sentences in U.S. prisons are not being deported back to their home countries, according to court documents and online reports noted by ADN America.
“Historically, when illegal aliens were brought to the U.S. to be prosecuted for their crimes, it was well understood that the aliens would be deported once they have served their sentence,” the newly filed complaint reads. “That was until the Biden-Harris Administration implemented their shockingly irresponsible immigration policy, pushing unknown numbers of dangerous criminals straight from federal prison into our communities and causing chaos, anarchy, and crime.”
Moody further explained her reasons for filing the lawsuit in a statement released by the Florida Attorney General’s Office. “In addition to flat out refusing to secure the border, reports indicate that President Biden and failed Border Czar Kamala Harris refuse to deport dangerous illegal immigrant prisoners once they are released from prison,” she said.
“On top of that, reports last week show possible foreign gang affiliated illegal aliens overtaking apartment complexes in American cities. This administration has made it clear they will not turn over documents showing this dangerous and unlawful scheme in a timely manner. Now, American cities are suffering in a very public way. I will not stand idly by and allow this dereliction of duty, that is why I filed suit today,” she added.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.