Denver officials are considering turning an empty elementary school building into a shelter for migrants — as a nearby suburb struggles with Venezuelan gangs.
“The location you reference has been looked at as a possible site to provide temporary shelter for newcomers,’ Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for Denver mayor Mike Johnston told Fox News Friday.. ‘No decisions have been made, nor contracts signed.”
The sanctuary city has more than 700,000 residents.
Concerns have been growing in the Denver area after numerous reports that the nearby community of Aurora has been struggling with Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.
A video released last month appeared to show men armed with weapons knocking on an apartment door in Aurora and was said to be evidence that Tren de Aragua had taken over the building.
Since then, conflicting reports have been issues about whether or not the gang has a real presence in the city.
Aurora police have said the gang does operate in the city but is not a large presence and has not taken over any apartment complexes.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman initially said that “criminal elements” had taken over some buildings and were extorting residents.
He then backtracked and said he was “not sure where the truth is in all of this,” after local residents held a news conference to say the gangs had not taken over.
President Donald Trump has helped fuel the rumors in Aurora, claiming the gangs “are taking over the whole town.”
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