COS attorney stresses not all Venezuelans are criminals after viral video shifts perception for many
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Stories of Venezuelan gangs in Aurora continue to attract national attention despite conflicting reports of their prevalence. Some in the Southern Colorado Hispanic community believe the outcry over these gangs is creating an unfair negative perception.
"El Abogado Ernesto" is a law group in Colorado Springs. They said the stories coming out of Aurora are deeply impacting the Hispanic community.
They said they've received calls from clients they are helping get their residency or citizenship who are upset over how they're being viewed. They added that it feels like an overall perception is shifting negatively because of these gangs. They stress that not all Venezuelans who live in Colorado are criminals. And there are many who are already legal citizens or live here on work visas.
"It's just that it's a very small part of the community that's committing the crimes and it's causing great problems for the rest of the community that are families that are really struggling to try and get ahead. They're having a harder time in getting a job. Many of them are not being paid by their employers. They're being treated very unfairly by the rest of the community that's targeted them as being all criminals," said immigration attorney Ernesto Welch.
A spokesperson from the Colorado Springs Police Department said that police are monitoring the situation in Aurora right now and that they have not connected any violent crimes to Venezuelan gangs in Colorado Springs.
