Colorado politicians decry arrest of Mexican immigration activist
Colorado politicians are denouncing the arrest of a Mexican immigrant activist, noting her decades of living in her local community and lack of criminal history.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D) called Jeanette Vizguerra a “pillar in her community” and called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to ensure she has legal counsel and to release her immediately.
“I am deeply concerned about ICE's actions to detain her without any due process, like a deportation order,” he said.
ICE officials on Monday detained Vizguerra, who has been an advocate for the immigrant community and criticized deportations. She immigrated to Colorado without legal permission in 1997 after her husband was held at gunpoint in Mexico City and has four children.
One of her children is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, while the other three are U.S. citizens.
Vizguerra received attention in 2017, during President Trump’s first term, for sheltering in a Colorado church for 86 days for sanctuary. She eventually received a stay of deportation, having been given one since 2013 before ICE initially denied a renewal.
She was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2017 for her work supporting fellow immigrants.
Other notable Colorado Democrats criticized the situation.
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) said he has “serious concerns” about ICE’s action and argued it will not help improve the situation at the southern border or with the system in general.
“Targeting a mother who has been an active part of our Colorado community for nearly three decades will not fix our broken immigration system or secure our border,” he said.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), who said he knows Vizguerra, called on the Trump administration to be transparent about her arrest and follow due process. He said the state of Colorado hasn’t received notice of Vizguerra’s arrest beyond press reports on it.
“Jeanette is a mother and grandmother, has spent decades in our country, helping the community, has a job, has no history of violence, is not a threat to the community, and above all else, deserves due process pursuant to the law,” he said.
“I continue to urge President Trump and ICE to focus their actions on violent offenders and be more transparent with states they are operating in, including being transparent about the cost and impact of detentions, raids, and the cost to taxpayers,” Polis continued.
While serving as a member of the House, Polis joined Vizguerra at a press conference in March 2017 criticizing local ICE officials, arguing a stay of deportation for a mother of three American citizens should be a “routine matter.”
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) lambasted the arrest as a “Putin-style persecution of political dissidents,” comparing it to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s record of stifling dissent in Russia.
“Her detainment is not about safety,” he said.
Vizguerra is the latest of a few high-profile individuals that ICE has detained. The agency has detained and is attempting to deport Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil despite Khalil being a lawful permanent resident with a green card.
A Brown University professor with a valid visa was deported despite a judge’s order saying that she should not be.
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