Advocates decry Trump administration effort to deport immigration activist

A well-known immigration activist who has uncovered the plight of undocumented people in the country, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed that she has been detained and plans to deport Jeanette Vizguerra.

The mother of four has had a long history of deep ties to the Colorado community where she has resided for 30 years, according to immigration advocates, lawmakers, and human rights organizations.

In the second term of President Donald Trump, the arrest seems to be the first time US authorities have taken down a well-known immigration activist.

Supporters claim Vizguerra’s arrest is intended to silence opposition. The Trump administration has resisted deporting people from the US in response to a wider deportation push, which has resisted enforcing laws and made use of an 18th-century law to deport illegal immigrants.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Vizguerra’s arrest was justified by ICE’s Denver, Colorado bureau’s reference to her prior convictions.

She was arrested in Mexico in 2009 for using a fictitious Social Security number to find employment, as well as for a second misdemeanour in 2013 for briefly visiting her ailing mother. At the time of the illegal entry, she was found guilty.

She will remain in the custody of ICE until she is removed from the country, according to the post.

However, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council Aaron Reichlin-Melnick questions whether Vizguerra’s lackadaisical arrest record qualifies for such treatment.

He stated that because of her undocumented status, she “has a few low-level offenses.” She’s not, however, a dangerous radical. On the social media platform X, he wrote, “That’s just ridiculous.”

He instead pointed out that she was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017.

She is a well-known advocate in Colorado and all over the country, according to Reichlin-Melnick. The American president has a more serious criminal history, according to the president in person.

Jeanette Vizguerra, who is she?

In the 1990s, Vizguerra and her husband, who had been subject to numerous kidnappings in Mexico, first moved to the US. She settled in Colorado, where she began organizing labor and working as a janitor.

Her first encounter with US law enforcement occurred in 2009 when she was discovered to be carrying a fake Social Security number on a traffic stop.

Her conviction sparked a year-long legal battle against her deportation and spurred her on to work on more immigration advocacy projects in Colorado to protect other undocumented individuals.

She founded the Colorado chapter of Dreamer’s Mothers in Action and became involved with organizations like Colorado’s Rights for All People and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.

However, President Trump declared his intention to start a massive immigration crackdown in 2017, his first as president.

Vizguerra sought refuge in two churches in the Denver area after fearing deportation, which thrust her into the national spotlight. Immigration raids at sensitive locations, such as churches, were previously prohibited by a long-standing government policy.

In a 2017 op-ed published by The New York Times, Vizguerra stated, “I decided to fight openly to raise awareness of the injustice of the system rather than hide my deportation.”

“I wanted to inspire my community to raise its voices and leave the shadows.”

She was granted a temporary deportation in May 2017 that made it possible for her to leave the sanctuary of the church. However, she felt forced to come back in 2019 after reportedly being denied her visa application.

In 2020, she eventually departed the church. She was later granted a temporary “stay of deportation” by the US government under Joe Biden.

America Ferrera, an actress, praised Vizguerra in Time Magazine’s 2017 profile for making the “bold and risky” choice to go public with her struggle.

According to Ferrera, “the current Administration has scapegoated immigrants, scaring Americans into thinking that undocumented people like Jeanette are criminals.”

She worked hard, sweating, and shedding tears as she started her own business, aiming to give her children more opportunities than she had. Not a crime, this. The American Dream is realized here.

Vizguerra was detained on Monday in the Target parking lot.

push for deportation

Vizguerra’s arrest comes as a result of Trump’s campaign’s campaign pledges to stop illegal immigration and increase removals.

Trump has quickly abandoned Biden administration policies that de-prioritized immigration actions against low-level and nonviolent offenders since taking office.

Despite Trump’s claim that he would concentrate on those who are perceived as threats to public safety and national security, recent ICE enforcement sweeps have resulted in the arrest of thousands of people without criminal records.

A previous law that forbade immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as churches, schools, and medical facilities, was reversed by the Trump administration in January.

Although a federal judge has temporarily halted its use, it started using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to increase expulsions earlier this month. That tactic has only been used three times in the past and only in conflicts.

The Trump administration is also accused of discriminating against foreigners, including legal permanent residents, because of their political beliefs.

That includes the attempted deportation of Brown University professor Rasha Alawieh, who was on a work visa, as well as Mahmoud Khalil, who had led pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University.

What has been the response?

Local elected officials have voiced some of the most vehement opposition to Vizguerra’s arrest.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stated in a video statement that her arrest was not “intended to keep our country safe” on Tuesday.

Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia and accused of violating human rights, was referred to as “Putin-style persecution of political dissidents,” he claimed.

Vizguerra was hailed as a “pillar of the community” by US Senator Michael Bennet. Governor Jared Polis cited the transparency of the Trump administration’s proceedings as evidence.

In a statement, Polis said, “I have met with and know Jeanette Vizguerra.” “Jeanette is a mother and grandmother, has worked in our country for decades, has no history of violence, is not a threat to the community, and deserves, above all else, due process under the law,” says Joanette.

The Domestic National Workers Alliance and the Quaker American Friends Service Committee are two of the organizations that have partnered with Vizguerra in recent months to win support for her cause. Organizations contacted her to request her release in a letter.

The Domestic National Workers Alliance posted a message on X stating, “Let’s be clear: These attacks are intended to stir fear and silence us, but we will protect each other.”

On Tuesday, supporters gathered outside of Vizguerra’s Aurora detention facility. On Wednesday, Denver was scheduled to hold yet another protest.

Luna Baez, Vizguerra’s daughter, requested community support on a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal expenses.

She said, “My mom has fought unabatedly for her community, and it’s time for everyone to unite and show our support for her like she has done for us.”

What follows?

Lawyers for Vizguerra claim that her detention is a violation of her constitutional rights.

Attorney Laura Lichter claimed that the removal order from 2013 was being relied upon “rife with procedural flaws” in a statement to The Washington Post.

Source: Aljazeera