According to news reports, the raid Sunday in Colorado Springs was led by the Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from numerous other federal agencies as well as local law enforcement.
All totaled, 114 illegal aliens were detained including members of the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua street gangs.
Ira Mehlman, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says he and FAIR were not surprised at the news because blue-state Colorado became a “magnet” for illegal aliens.
“You have, basically, sanctuary policies that protect illegal aliens,” Mehlman says, referring to House Bill 1124.
That legislation, which prohibits law enforcement cooperation with ICE, was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis (pictured at right) in 2019.
Mehlan points out that Tom Holman, Trump's tough-talking border czar, vowed months ago to target illegal aliens living in so-called sanctuary cities and sanctuary states.
"Because that's where you're going to likely find the worst of the worst criminals," Mehlman says.
Back in March, in a Fox News story, DEA Director Derek Maltz called Colorado a “command and control” headquarters for Tren de Aragua. He also directly blamed the state’s liberal immigration policy for allowing the gang to gain strength because of it.
Tren de Aragua is the Venezuelan street gang made famous by the plane loads of gang members being deported and flown to a notorious El Salvador prison by the Trump administration.
The gang was also in the news last year when video surveillance showed armed gang members raiding an apartment in Aurora, Colorado.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who represents Colorado’s 5th District, told AFN he was pleased that federal law enforcement agencies, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department, worked closely to conduct the raid.
“The Trump administration is sending a clear message: this country will not be a sanctuary for illegal aliens any longer,” Crank said.
In a statement posted on X, the sheriff of Douglas County, Darren Weekly, said his department also cooperated with the DEA in its raid. Without naming the political party behind it, he blamed Colorado's "sanctuary polices" for making the state a "hub" for illegal immigration.
"As the Sheriff of Douglas County, I will do everything I can within Colorado law to support our federal partners. This in turn helps keep my community safe," Weekly said.
