A legal watchdog organization has initiated inquiries into the growth of a deadly Venezuelan gang operating within America. America First Legal (AFL) has initiated inquiries into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were the agencies identified in a news release as being engaged. The main focus of the inquiry is the increasing activity of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang in Aurora, Colorado.

The press release detailed that AFL had launched investigations in response to increasing gang activity involving illegal immigrants across Aurora, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and western Wisconsin. Surveillance footage from August 29, 2024, allegedly captured armed members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang entering an apartment complex in Aurora.

Reports also suggest that the gang members engaged in criminal acts, including trespassing, assault, and illegal firearm possession. Additionally, on September 3, 2024, gang members were reportedly involved in a distress call from Chicago, where armed individuals were said to have taken over a city building. A suspected TdA member was arrested on domestic violence charges in western Wisconsin on September 5, 2024.

The release argued that these incidents could have been prevented if the southern U.S. border had been secured. AFL has requested data from DHS and the FBI regarding the Tren de Aragua gang’s presence in these areas and also wanted correspondence between federal and local officials to discover if the Biden-Harris administration had been informed to the rising threat.

The statement also emphasized AFL’s commitment to protecting Americans from what it described as the consequences of the Biden-Harris administration’s lenient immigration policies. It criticized the administration’s decision to open the borders, suggesting that this has enabled violent gangs from Venezuela to spread unchecked in U.S. communities.

The statement further argued that if the administration’s Border Czar were committed to eliminating foreign gang violence, the border would be secured, and illegal immigrants deported, according to America First Legal Executive Director Gene Hamilton.

Meanwhile, a group of Republican-led states, headed by Texas, has filed a lawsuit over a program known as parole in place. The lawsuit alleges that the program creates a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants while bypassing Congress for political purposes, as reported by Just The News. The plaintiffs claimed that this program incentivizes illegal immigration and would cause irreparable harm to the states involved.

The program, which debuted recently, permits wives of U.S. citizens who are illegal immigrants to remain in the country and apply for a green card with the option for citizenship. To qualify, the spouse must have resided in the United States for at least ten years, have no disqualifying criminal record, and have been married to a U.S. citizen by June 17.

A White House official noted that the lawsuit tries to force U.S. citizens and their families many of whom have lived in the U.S. for over a decade to remain in the shadows. The administration has promised to defend the program and accused Republicans of politicizing border concerns without presenting a solution.