Why These Immigrants in Aurora Voted for Donald Trump

Luis Hernandez isn't a United States citizen — he moved here from Mexico a couple of years ago — but the Aurora window repairman says he would have voted for President-Elect Donald Trump.

"It seems to me Trump has the better ideas," Hernandez said in Spanish while enjoying a cold mug of Bud Light. "I don't think you can fix the economy without first controlling who you let in here. How can you let everyone in here and give them money, housing for free and then expect the country to work?"

Hernandez was referencing the Venezuelan migrants who came in large numbers to Denver over the past two years. He was one of more than sixty people who turned out to watch the election results at JJ's Place, 2340 South Chambers Road in Aurora. The bar, owned by conservative Aurora Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, was hosting a watch party on Tuesday, November 5, for John Fabbricatore, the former ICE field director turned Republican candidate for Congressional District 6. That's the seat long held by Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican who was defeated by Jason Crow in 2018.

Denver votes for Democratic presidential candidates at some of the highest rates in the country, but the suburbs are a different story — especially in Aurora, which has become a catalyst for immigration policy debate.

In December 2022, the City of Denver declared an emergency as hundreds of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, started showing up by the busload from Texas; since then, the city has tallied the arrival of 43,000 migrants. The Denver mayor's office estimates that about half of them stayed in the metro area, but it doesn't track where new arrivals end up.

Many wound up in Aurora.

Aurora doesn't keep count of migrant residents, either, but since this summer, Jurinsky and other Aurora councilmembers have continually claimed that Venezuelan gang members have taken over apartment complexes in the city. Coffman and the Aurora Police Department concede that gang activity is taking place in Aurora but deny that gangs control any buildings.

Jurinsky and Fabbricatore were two of the loudest voices pushing the story that not only apartment buildings, but the city of Aurora itself were controlled by the prison gang Tren de Aragua. When Trump visited Aurora on October 11, Jurinsky spoke at his rally alongside Fabbricatore; she also made appearances on Fox News and Dr. Phil Primetime asserting the Venezuelan gang story.

Fabbricatore lost the CD6 election, but while he was at JJ's, he still hadn't conceded to Democrat Crow. While he watched himself fall behind in the race, he said, "It's important for Trump to win," as he believes the president-elect's immigration policy will improve the country.

"He's pro-immigration, as I am. We're pro-legal immigration," Fabbricatore said. "Going through a vetted process to get into the United States. The United States is a melting-pot country, so it's important that we have a legal, vetted immigration process. What Trump wants to organize against is illegal immigration."

Among the promises Trump made while on the campaign trail was to start the largest mass deportation the country has seen in Aurora, dubbed Operation Aurora. During his rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort, Trump promised the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who kill United States citizens.

Fabbricatore believes he lost to Crow because "Republicans didn't come out to vote" in Aurora and parts of Centennial and Littleton, which make up CD6.

"They like to complain more than they like to step up and change the situation," he said of CD6 voters. But after his defeat, Fabbricatore plans to "step up and be a leader in this community...especially in the northeast Aurora area, where the Tren de Aragua gangs are." 

Fabbricatore's strong stance on immigration was echoed by other Trump supporters in JJ's Place on election night, many of them immigrants themselves.

An estimated 90,000 people living in Aurora were born in another country, according to 2023 U.S. Census data; that's about 22 percent of the population. Most of these foreign-born residents, about 37,000 people, are from Mexico. More than 7,000 are from East Africa, including over 3,000 from Ethiopia. Close to 20,000 Aurorans come from Asia, including more than 2,000 from Korea, 2,400 from India and about 2,800 from Vietnam.

At least a thousand residents list Russia as their birthplace; just as many come from Burma or El Salvador. Germany, Thailand, Kenya and several other countries are all represented. All told, more than 160 languages are spoken in Aurora, which lives up to its slogan: "The World in a City."

Hernandez's boss, Angel Perez, came from Mexico to the United States in 1995 and now considers himself a JJ's regular. He says that he used to vote Democrat, but he's upset with seeing immigrants from South America "cut in line" to the United States.

"People don't want to work hard anymore. They want to show up and have everything handed to them," Perez said. "Us Mexicans, we're proud hard workers, and I don't think we should tolerate people coming here looking for shortcuts."

Perez shared Hernandez's thoughts on immigration and the economy. "With Trump, the economy will be better, immigration will be under control, and everything will improve," he said.

Amsalu Kessaw, an Ethiopian immigrant, showed up to JJ's Place dressed in a black suit and red tie to show his support for the Republican party. Kessaw's number-one concern in the election was the economy. "The cost of living is high. I have to work two jobs," he said.

But he noted that "the gangs, the criminal activity is really affecting us." Kessaw sees Trump as a man who shares his "family values. Values always matter to our community," he added.

"I do vote for Trump, because my family values and the economy, and also the criminal activities with law enforcement," Kessaw explained. "Trump is very strong on law and order, and I believe he's strong on economy. I strongly believe in a candidate with family values who is also religious and for the border."

The crowd at JJ's Place didn't leave despite the thick snow falling. They stayed late into the night, until the election was called for Trump early on November 6.