Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., accused Democrats of creating a "permission structure" that allows migrant-related violence, including the presence of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, to go unchecked.
Gaetz voiced his concerns on Newsmax, Wednesday, on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," warning that dangerous criminal activity, such as that linked to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, has taken root in U.S. cities like Aurora, Colorado, and New York.
The gang, one of Venezuela's most notorious criminal organizations, is reportedly operating out of city-funded migrant shelters and has escalated from petty theft to armed robberies in Times Square, according to the New York Post.
Gaetz criticized the insufficient vetting process for migrants entering the U.S., asserting that the permissiveness of current policies has led to a dangerous situation.
"Denial is indeed the first stage of grief, right? And the mainstream media and the Democrats in power tell us that it's not real, that people who are dangerous and might harm us on election day were passed through an insufficient vetting process … and you should really worry that it's only a few apartment complexes in Colorado who are being overtaken by this Venezuelan violent gang," he said sarcastically.
He expressed concern that a mindset has developed where a certain amount of violence is tolerated as a trade-off for broader immigration and social policies.
"I think that the perspective of American leaders should be that no apartment complexes should be overtaken. One is too many," Gaetz emphasized. "But at the same time, there's a permission structure being set up where a certain amount of violence and danger is acceptable so long as it achieves these social gains of allowing illegal people into our country."
Gaetz pointed to the broader consequences of sanctuary city and state policies, which he argued have invited dangerous elements into communities.
"When you invite the Third World into your community, you get Third-World consequences," he said, adding that residents of affluent neighborhoods may soon see the repercussions of these policies in the suburbs.
Local law enforcement officials confirmed that nearly two dozen young members of the Tren de Aragua gang, some as young as 11 years old, have been involved in escalating criminal activities, from purse snatchings to armed heists. The gang's rise in New York, officials warn, highlights the unintended consequences of the city's shelter policies for migrants.
The congressman insisted that this situation is not an accident but rather a direct result of open borders and policies that offer incentives to undocumented immigrants.
"It's not by accident," Gaetz remarked. "It's a direct consequence of us allowing our borders to be open, and then the pull factors in our country where we're giving things away to illegals like housing and healthcare. "
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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