Colorado DA Denounces Governor's Dismissal of Migrant Gang Activity as 'Misinformation'

Arapahoe County District Attorney John Kellner rebuked Colorado Governor Jared Polis for downplaying the severity of migrant gang violence in the state, describing the situation as "real" and posing a threat to public safety.

Amid the escalating crisis of migrant gang activity terrorizing apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, District Attorney John Kellner has vehemently rejected Governor Jared Polis's assertion that such concerns constitute "misinformation." In an interview with Fox News's "America's Newsroom," Kellner denounced the governor's dismissiveness, highlighting the ongoing police efforts to combat these criminal organizations.

Colorado DA Denounces Governor's Dismissal of Migrant Gang Activity as 'Misinformation'

"We're aggressively prosecuting any of the cases that we see come across our desk," Kellner stated. "We've got a multi-agency task force looking into these crimes right now. And whenever we see a gang try to infiltrate our community or get a foothold, we're going to prosecute them vigorously."

Kellner emphasized the seriousness of the situation, citing multiple open cases for home invasion, burglary, and theft as police relentlessly work to suppress these gangs. He pointed to recent viral footage showing armed men in an Aurora apartment complex, allegedly members of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as irrefutable evidence of the problem.

Colorado DA Denounces Governor's Dismissal of Migrant Gang Activity as 'Misinformation'

"I've heard criticism from some folks saying things like 'This is imaginary,'" Kellner continued. "I can tell you the people in this apartment complex, the people of aura, it's not imaginary."

The district attorney underscored the urgency of addressing this issue, drawing parallels to previous successful efforts in combating MS-13's presence in the city. "We indicted over a dozen members of that gang, prosecuted them for multiple murders, multiple shootings, violent crimes, and several of them are spending the next few decades looking back on their life choices in prison and regretting them," Kellner said. "And some of them are spending the rest of their lives in prison in Colorado."

Colorado DA Denounces Governor's Dismissal of Migrant Gang Activity as 'Misinformation'

Governor Polis, however, has consistently downplayed the severity of the gang problem, labeling such concerns as "misinformation." His spokesperson, Shelby Wieman, previously told Fox News Digital that the governor "hopes that the city council members in charge stop trashing their own city when they are supposed to keep it safe."

Kellner expressed strong disagreement with the governor's stance, emphasizing the tangible evidence of gang activity, such as the recent deadly shootout at an apartment complex. "I strongly disagree with the governor's comments about this. This isn't 'misinformation,'" Kellner said. "Right now there's an active investigation into a massive shootout that occurred outside one of these apartment complexes, and one man ended up dead. That's not misinformation. These are real problems."

Colorado DA Denounces Governor's Dismissal of Migrant Gang Activity as 'Misinformation'

The influx of migrants into the Denver area, estimated at over 40,000 since December 2022 according to the New York Post, has exacerbated the situation. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, while acknowledging the localized nature of these apartment incidents, has also emphasized the need to prevent the reputation of the city from being unfairly damaged.

"The situation is real, but it also needs to be put into context so that the reputation of an entire city of over 400,000 residents is not adversely impacted by what has occurred in several isolated apartment buildings owned by the same out-of-state slum lord," Coffman said in a statement.

The ongoing clash between law enforcement officials and the governor's administration over the severity of migrant gang activity in Colorado highlights the importance of acknowledging the problem and taking decisive action to protect public safety.