Locally celebrated immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra was arrested by federal officers Monday afternoon.
Vizguerra, an undocumented immigrant herself, has lived in the United States for nearly 30 years, establishing her voice in the fight for immigration reform while facing her own deportation battle. Most notably, Vizguerra made national headlines in 2017 when she spent months under the sanctuary of two local churches to avoid arrest.
- What local leaders are saying: Gov. Jared Polis, Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and several others have publicly rebuked the detainment. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston called the arrest a “Soviet-style political persecution … under the guise of immigration enforcement.”
- Dig deeper: Activist and former state representative Tim Hernández explains why Vizguerra’s detention is so concerning amid the ongoing fight for immigration rights. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
Here’s a timeline of her last three decades in the U.S.
1997
Vizguerra left Mexico and arrived without documentation in the U.S. with her husband and daughter.
2009
Following a routine traffic stop, Vizguerra was arrested for possessing forged identification documents.
2012
Vizguerra returned to Mexico to visit her dying mother. She was arrested upon reentry to the U.S., but was permitted to remain in the country as long as she was compliant with regular ICE check-ins.
2016
Vizguerra applied for a U-Visa (a special exception allowing undocumented immigrants who are the victims of crime to remain in the U.S. legally).
2017
With her U-Visa application still pending and the newly inaugurated President Donald Trump promising stricter immigration enforcement, Vizguerra sought sanctuary in local churches, which were then considered “safe spaces” and off-limits to ICE activity.
With help from then-Rep. Jared Polis and Sen. Michael Bennet, Vizguerra was granted a two-year stay of deportation allowing her to safely leave the churches.
She was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
2019
Vizguerra’s special allowances expired and her U-Visa application was denied.
2020 and Onward
Until her arrest by ICE agents this week, Vizguerra has spent the last five years appealing her U-Visa denial, seeking pathways to legally remain in the United States, and vocally advocating for immigration reform.
