Officials detain immigration activist who sheltered in church in 2017
Jeanette Vizguerra, a Colorado advocate for immigrants who sheltered in a church for months in 2017, was detained by officials on Monday, local advocates said.
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition demanded the immediate release of Vizguerra after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her at her workplace.
“Jeanette is a pilar of the community and has supported countless families,” the organization said in a statement. “ICE had no reason to detain her—this cruel and unnecessary action is causing irreparable harm to her family and community.”
The group said it was clear Vizguerra was targeted for her criticism of deportation and her advocacy for the immigrant community.
“ICE’s actions raise serious due process concerns, and her attorneys are working to correct the legal errors behind her detention,” the organization said.
During President Trump’s first term, Vizguerra lived in a church in Colorado for 86 days to take sanctuary from immigration agents. Her stay of removal was granted by ICE.
She immigrated to Colorado in 1997 after her husband was held at gunpoint in Mexico City. She has four children, one of whom is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and the other three are U.S. citizens.
Vizguerra was featured in Time’s 100 most influential people list in 2017 and said she would continue her activism work.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston addressed Vizguerra’s detainment on Tuesday, slamming it as a “Putin-style persecution.”
“This is not immigration enforcement. This is a Soviet-style political persecution of political dissidents under the guise of immigration enforcement,” he said. “This is not someone with a criminal record. This is a mom of American citizens who works at Target and has started a community nonprofit.”
“This is not something that makes our community safer,” Johnston said, pointing to the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrant crime. “In my mind, I think it makes our community lawless.”
Jardon Garcia, a family friend of Vizguerra’s, told The Washington Post that Vizguerra had been in touch with her children and is “doing okay.” She knew she would be a target of the new Trump administration and had kept a relatively low profile in recent years as she continued to navigate her own legal process, Garcia said.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) called on the Trump administration to show transparency Vizguerra’s detainment, noting that she has no history of violence and is not a threat to the community.
He said the state had not been notified of Vizguerra’s arrest and wants ICE to focus on detaining violent offenders. He noted that various arrests have an impact on taxpayer dollars and Vizguerra deserves due process.
The Hill has reached out to the White House and the Denver field office of ICE.
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