Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for the death penalty for migrants who kill United States citizens or members of law enforcement, as part of an incendiary rally in Aurora, Colorado.
In his Friday night speech, Trump, a former president, repeated false and misleading claims about immigrants in the US, leaning into nativist sentiment as he campaigns for a second term.
“Now America is known all throughout the world as occupied America,” he told the rally, citing a supposed “invasion” of migrants.
Trump also laid out a stark vision for his first days in office, if re-elected, with policy proposals hinged on mass deportation.
“To everyone here in Colorado and all across our nation, I make this pledge and vow to you: November 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America,” he said, with a reference to election day.
Trump has repeatedly sought to demonise migrants in the run-up to the vote, pointing to an increase in southern border crossings under the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
But critics have drawn parallels between Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and the language used historically by white supremacist movements.
Trump’s campaign stop in Aurora was poised to drum up fears of immigration: He has long used the city as an example of the alleged lawlessness of migrants.
The city has been besieged by misinformation in recent months, as rumours swirled that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had wrested control over parts of the city.
Those claims were false. Media reports indicated they arose after a property management company — faced with accusations of decrepit conditions in its apartment buildings — blamed a gang presence for the lack of repairs.
But Trump and his allies have nevertheless continued to repeat the false rumours, despite pushback from local officials.
Ahead of Friday’s rally, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, said in a statement on Facebook, “Concerns about Venezuelan gang activity have been grossly exaggerated.”
Only a handful of incidents related to the Tren de Aragua gang have been reported in the city of 400,000, he added.
“Former President Trump’s visit to Aurora is an opportunity to show him and the nation that Aurora is a considerably safe city — not a city overrun by Venezuelan gangs,” Coffman said.
Furthermore, several studies have shown that undocumented migrants are far less likely to be arrested for felony and violent crimes than US-born citizens.
Preview of second term
Regardless, Trump repeated his false accusations on Friday, promising to “rescue” Aurora and other cities from an “invasion” of migrants.
“We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States,” Trump said. “We will close the border. We will stop the invasion of illegals into our country. We will defend our territory. We will not be conquered.”
The Republican candidate also invoked racist and xenophobic stereotypes, including that migrants were likely to carry illness.
“They’re very sick, very sick. They’re coming into our country. They’re very, very sick with highly contagious disease, and they’re let into our country to infect our country,” Trump said.
