Twice during the debate Tuesday night’s presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump referred to Aurora, the Colorado suburb recently in the news amid claims that members of a Venezuelan gang have “taken over” multiple apartment buildings.

The passing mentions drew sharply different responses from members of Colorado’s congressional delegation who have staked out opposing positions on the veracity of the underlying claims.

In social media posts, Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert seconded Trump’s points, while Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, who represents the city, called on Trump to “stop lying” about Aurora.

Trump first name-checked Aurora in remarks maintaining that immigrants are taking jobs from American workers.

“You see what’s happening throughout the United States,” Trump said. “You look at Springfield, Ohio. You look at Aurora in Colorado. They are taking over the towns, they are taking over buildings They are going in violently. These are the people that she and Biden let into our country, and they are destroying our country. They are at the highest level of criminality, and we have to get them out — we have to get them out fast.”

Trump insisted that criminal immigrants from the South American country have been terrorizing the city of 400,000.

Aurora’s mayor — a former Republican congressman — and Democratic officials, including Crow, say there’s no evidence to support the charges, describing them as unfounded, politically motivated attacks.

Last month, Coffman acknowledged that Venezuelan gangs have taken control of several apartment complexes in the northern part of the city in what he called “a nightmare situation.” He also admitted that the city “lost control” of the gang infiltration “and we’re working aggressively to get it back.” But he pushed back on the national media’s recent portrayal of an entire city being overrun by gangs.

The issue of Venezuelan gangs in Aurora made national and international headlines when officials shuttered Aspen Grove Apartments — evicting roughly 300 people — and cited a string of health and safety issues that included rodent infestations, sewage backups and trash pileups, water leaks, and a lack of electricity.

The landlord blamed the deteriorating conditions at Aspen Grove on gang activity — an allegation that city officials dismissed, and later walked back, insisting that the gangs were a problem but a limited one.

More recently, a law firm said that, through violence and intimidation, the Venezuelan gang took over another apartment complex in Aurora and sought to collect up to half of the rent from leaseholders, drying up collections for the landlord.

And on Wednesday, Aurora officials admitted they had been arresting people suspected — though not yet confirmed at the time of their apprehensions — of being members of a Venezuelan gang operating in the metro Denver long before the media spotlight on the city.

Addressing Trump on X, Crow told the former president to “stop lying about Aurora, CO.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of the diverse community we call home,” Crow added, appending the hashtag “#AuroraProud.”

Boebert had the opposite reaction.

“President Trump is CORRECT!” she tweeted. “Illegal criminal gangs are taking over parts of Aurora, Colorado. We must MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”

After Harris responded by accusing Trump of leaning on divisive rhetoric, Boebert returned fire on X.

“Aurora, Colorado is being taken over and Kamala Harris has no answer for it,” Boebert tweeted. “It’s not a tired playbook, Kamala, it’s the truth,” she added.

Later, Trump again mentioned Aurora, the second time suggesting that other cities have been reluctant to publicize being overrun by foreigners because they’re “embarrassed by it.”

“What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country,” Trump said. “And look at what’s happening to the towns all over the United States — a lot of towns don’t want to talk about it. They’re not going to be Aurora or Springfield. A lot of the towns don’t want to talk about it, they’re so embarrassed by it.”

Trump continued by repeating a claim about Haitian immigrants supposedly eating pets belonging to residents in the Ohio city.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats — they’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said. “And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Taking to X, Boebert mocked fact checks that have found no evidence to support Trump’s assertion.

“Run, Spot, run!!!” Boebert tweeted. “Before you’re dinner!”

In response to Trump’s remarks, Crow retweeted his earlier post, adding “Take 2” above it.

Minutes later, Crow retweeted a taunting post from Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who reminded his followers that Trump’s Democratic opponents carried Colorado’s electoral votes twice.

“Coloradans know better than to trust what Trump says about our state,” Bennet tweeted. “We rejected him twice. We’ll do it again in 55 days. #AuroraStrong.”

Reporter Nico Brambila contributed to this article.