Prominent Colorado immigration rights activist Jeanette Vizguerra is facing deportation after being detained by federal authorities on March 17, 2025. Vizguerra, a 53-year-old Denver resident and mother of U.S. citizen children, was arrested during a break outside her job at Target.
A symbol of the sanctuary movement, Vizguerra took refuge in a Denver church in 2017 to avoid deportation. Her detention has sparked widespread outrage, with supporters arguing that she has been targeted for her activism. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston condemned the action, calling it “Soviet-style political persecution”.
Vizguerra’s legal team has filed a writ of habeas corpus, alleging that her detention violates her constitutional right to due process. However, ICE maintains that she has received legal due process in U.S. immigration court and has a final order of deportation issued by a federal immigration judge.
A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked Vizguerra’s deportation, scheduling a hearing for March 28 ². As the case unfolds, Vizguerra’s supporters continue to rally around her, highlighting the need for immigration reform and the human cost of enforcement policies. Prominent Colorado immigration rights activist Jeanette Vizguerra is facing deportation after being detained by federal authorities on March 17, 2025. Vizguerra, a 53-year-old Denver resident and mother of U.S. citizen children, was arrested during a break outside her job at Target.
A symbol of the sanctuary movement, Vizguerra took refuge in a Denver church in 2017 to avoid deportation. Her detention has sparked widespread outrage, with supporters arguing that she has been targeted for her activism. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston condemned the action, calling it “Soviet-style political persecution”.
Vizguerra’s legal team has filed a writ of habeas corpus, alleging that her detention violates her constitutional right to due process. However, ICE maintains that she has received legal due process in U.S. immigration court and has a final order of deportation issued by a federal immigration judge.
A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked Vizguerra’s deportation, scheduling a hearing for March 28 ². As the case unfolds, Vizguerra’s supporters continue to rally around her, highlighting the need for immigration reform and the human cost of enforcement policies.