Hispanic organizations on high alert for ‘Operation Aurora’: ‘Trump has declared war on the Latino community’

The main organizations advocating for the rights of Latinos have united to confront Donald Trump’s latest assault on migrants: the so-called “Operation Aurora,” which escalates his campaign against immigration to another level. “He has effectively declared war on the Latino community,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino. “This poses a threat to everyone Trump deems undesirable. It represents a promise to use the military to destroy American families and detain or deport whomever he chooses.”

Leaders of five prominent Latino organizations have agreed to raise the alarm in response to the latest electoral promise from the Republican presidential candidate, which they claim would lead to the deportation not only of undocumented immigrants but also of many American citizens.

“Trump has embraced an extremist agenda, and while that’s nothing new, he is now taking it to an unprecedented level by invoking a law that is over 200 years old —the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Trump’s plan is not merely to reverse progress but to erode the fundamental rights and protections of immigrants, legal residents, and even naturalized citizens,” warned Sindy Benavides, president of the Latino Victory Project.

The aforementioned law is what the Republican candidate intends to use to execute his promise to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, which has become the focal point of his speeches at each election rally. This law, typically invoked during times of war, allows for the expulsion of enemies who are deemed to invade the United States — in Trump’s view, that includes immigrants. Since its enactment at the end of the 18th century, this law has only been applied on three occasions: during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II.

On October 11, Trump vowed to use the law to deport immigrants, dubbing it Operation Aurora, a reference to the Colorado city of the same name. In August, Aurora made headlines when Trump claimed it was occupied by members of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, a claim that was denied by the city’s Republican mayor, Mike Coffman.

Trump has never specified the mechanism for carrying out mass deportations. During a town hall with undecided Latino voters on the Univision television network on Wednesday night, the White House hopeful sidestepped the issue and did not address a question regarding it. Instead, he once again demonized immigrants, blaming them for all of the country’s ills.

Despite this lack of clarity, Latino rights advocates fear that arrests will be made based on physical appearance and skin color, potentially putting millions of Latino citizens at risk of deportation.

“He talks about mass deportation, but he doesn’t provide specific details. He says he will empower local officials, and we know what happens when untrained individuals are given such authority — it will lead to chaos. He has already separated families in the past,” said Janet Murguía, president of UnidosUS Action Fund.

The controversial law would allow for the expulsion of individuals without due process, raising concerns among migrants who hold residence permits, such as the Dreamers — migrants who arrived as children — who fear they may also be subject to deportation.

“He is not just targeting recent immigrants; he also aims to strip legal status from those who currently hold it, such as beneficiaries of DACA — the program for Dreamers — and TPS [Temporary Protected Status] — individuals who have lived in the country for decades. When he was president, he attempted to cancel these programs, and he plans to do so again if he returns to the White House,” warned Vanessa Cárdenas, director of America’s Voice.

The organization announced yesterday a campaign in the key states of Nevada and Arizona, aiming to share real stories. “We will encourage immigrants and all Americans to go on social media and share their immigration stories because our stories made this country great, and our stories are powerful,” it said.

Latino organizations have largely supported the Democrat candidate, Kamala Harris, and have spent the past few months encouraging Hispanics to vote. In this election, four million Latinos will have the opportunity to vote for the first time. With 36.2 million citizens eligible to vote, Latinos may hold the outcome of the elections in their hands. Their votes will be crucial in swing states such as Nevada, where they make up 20% of the electorate, and Arizona, where they constitute 25%.

Victims of harassment

Hector Sanchez Barba, president of Mi Familia Vota (My Family Votes), expresses concern about the consequences of the demonization of immigrants during the campaign. “We have seen people harassing our pollsters in very offensive ways. We have drastically increased security in our nearly 30 offices across the country,” he said. “Just recently, one of our pollsters was beaten. I witnessed that type of behavior in Arizona while canvassing with my teams yesterday. I have observed similar incidents at universities in Nevada, and it is directly related to the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Trump and the Republican Party.”

Cárdenas, from America’s Voice, estimates that the Trump campaign has spent over $500 million on anti-immigration events this year — 11 times more than it spent in 2020. “It’s no wonder they’re threatening poll workers; when they hear Trump’s repeated warnings that we’re being invaded, they take it seriously. Now, Trump wants to turn that invasion conspiracy theory into an actual mass deportation policy,” she said.

In the days leading up to November 5, these groups will continue their efforts to inform and encourage Latino voters. Should the Republican return to the White House, their plan is to initiate legal action against the Republican’s policies, which could buy them time to prevent deportations, although, as Murguía admits, “it is not clear how long we can intervene.” Before and after the elections, their goal is to educate Latinos about their rights and warn them of potential consequences.

“I have heard in some media that there are Latino voters who believe Trump is joking when he talks about mass deportations. That is serious because this should be taken seriously. It is no joke,” she warned.

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