President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of longtime advisor and border hawk Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy and former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official Tom Homan as “Border Czar” has signaled that mass deportations would be more than just a campaign promise.

With Trump’s pending presidency come worries from advocacy groups about “Operation Aurora” — the name of his campaign to crack down on illegal immigration and on gang members, in particular — and skepticism from some of Colorado’s elected officials about the viability of the plan.

Others welcome the plan, saying the illegal immigration crisis is out of control and local governments officials should not get in the way of immigration enforcement.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman is skeptical that Trump will follow through at all. Meanwhile in Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston said he and his city will resist mass deportation.

Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, however, said “Operation Aurora” is “coming,” and it needs to be taken seriously.

“All I know is that Tom Homan has said he’s coming for the criminals first,” Jurinsky told The Denver Gazette. “What I believe is going to happen at the federal level is they are going to go into all of these cities that have been impacted by Tren de Aragua and other criminals that have come across the border and they are going to get them out of here.”

While Jurinsky said “Operation Aurora” would be beneficial to her city and to the “entire United States of America.” She called America’s immigration system “broken” and argued there are rules people need to follow.

“There’s a certain way you come into this country and there’s rules that must be followed,” she said. “My family came here a certain way and followed the rules. If the rule of law is not upheld, then we in fact have a broken immigration system.”

Logistically, it will be a “little tough” to get Operation Aurora moving, Jurinsky said, specifically when it comes to staffing and getting the resources to uphold it.

When asked if Aurora would comply, Jurinsky replied, “Well, of course. It’s a federal operation.”

“Tom Homan has made very very clear for Phil Weiser, Jared Polis and Mayor Johnston that anybody who tries to stand in the way of a federal operation will be charged with a felony crime,” Jurinsky said. “I don’t think any of those three are going to risk a felony charge. I think it’s all just political posturing.”

It remains to be seen what reaction will emanate out of the Colorado General Assembly in response to “Operation Aurora,” but groups who advocate for immigrants have begun preparing.

Laura Lunn, the director of advocacy and litigation at the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMAIN), noted that in 2021 Colorado lawmakers created an Immigration Legal Defense Cash Fund, which, at $100,000 a year, provides grants to organizations representing indigent individuals appearing before immigration courts in the state.

Lunn is worried the program won’t be funded given the state’s fiscal woes. The Colorado state government faces a $1 billion shortfall.

Advocates said they worry Trump’s promises will have a negative impact on Colorado industries, such as housing and skiing, and create fear in the immigrant community — whether or not he carries out his deportation plan.

People “underestimate” the number of non-citizens who work in industries Coloradans love, such as skiing, Lunn said. Housing could also get more expensive, since the construction industry would lose workers, she said. Communities would weaken, as families would get separated and losses in nursing staff could affect the medical industry, she added.

People are afraid, she said. Since the election, many clients have reached out to Lunn’s team to get help, and the fear has “trickled down to everyone in our community,” she said.

For Lunn and her colleagues, planning and educating got more intensive following the November election. She said that, in recent days, she has spent her time compiling various resources for various scenarios immigrants may find themselves in, including information they do and do not have to share and how they can protect their family members.

She said the most critical thing going into the next four years is ensuring everybody has access to an attorney. In immigration proceedings, people don’t have the right to court-appointed counsel, she said.

“When we talk about the law and due process, the only way that’s going to be upheld appropriately is if you have an attorney to make sure that it is right,” she said. “If we’re thinking about fundamental fairness and due process, we need to make sure everybody in the courtroom has access to an attorney and aren’t just going up against a system that’s completely rigged against them.”

“More than anything, people are afraid, and (the Trump administration) has been really effective at making people fearful,” she said. “I can’t understate all of these terrible things that could happen, but the day-to-day existence of living with the type of fear people experience when they’re being threatened is really powerful.”