United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the detention and planned deportation of Jeanette Vizguerra, a prominent immigration activist known for raising awareness about the struggles of undocumented individuals in the country.
The move has been criticized by immigration advocates, lawmakers, and human rights groups, who highlight Vizguerra’s strong ties to the Colorado community where she has resided for three decades.
This arrest marks the first instance during President Donald Trump’s second term where a well-known immigration activist has been targeted for deportation.
Supporters believe that Vizguerra’s detention is an attempt to silence dissent, amidst a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase deportations and weaken enforcement protections for undocumented individuals.
In a social media post, ICE in Denver justified Vizguerra’s arrest by citing her previous convictions, including a 2009 misdemeanor for using a fake Social Security number to secure employment and a second misdemeanor from 2013 related to her brief return to Mexico to visit her dying mother, resulting in an illegal entry conviction.
Despite these low-level offenses, some experts question the severity of the treatment she is facing, noting her recognition as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017.
Vizguerra’s background includes immigrating to the US from Mexico City in the 1990s, where she settled in Colorado, worked as a janitor, and became involved in labor organizing. Her advocacy work began after a 2009 traffic stop that revealed her use of a fake Social Security number.
After seeking refuge in churches to avoid deportation, Vizguerra gained national attention and continued her fight for immigrant rights, founding organizations and becoming a respected advocate in Colorado and beyond.
Vizguerra has faced challenges under the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies, including her recent arrest in the parking lot of her workplace.
Her detention comes amidst a broader deportation push under Trump, who has prioritized removing undocumented individuals, even those with no criminal record, and rolled back policies protecting sensitive locations from immigration enforcement actions.
The response to Vizguerra’s arrest has been met with condemnation from local officials, with some likening it to political persecution and calling for transparency in the government’s actions.
“Jeanette adalah seorang ibu dan nenek, telah menghabiskan puluhan tahun di negara kita, membantu komunitas, memiliki pekerjaan, tidak memiliki riwayat kekerasan, tidak merupakan ancaman bagi komunitas, dan yang terpenting, layak mendapatkan proses yang sesuai dengan hukum.”
Grup-grup yang telah bekerja sama dengan Vizguerra, termasuk American Friends Service Committee dan Aliansi Pekerja Nasional Domestik, juga telah mendukung secara publik kasusnya. Puluhan organisasi menandatangani surat yang menuntut pembebasannya.
“Mari kita jelaskan: Serangan-serangan ini dimaksudkan untuk menimbulkan rasa takut dan membungkam kami, tetapi kami akan melindungi satu sama lain,” posting Aliansi Pekerja Nasional Domestik di X.
Pendukung pada hari Selasa berkumpul di luar pusat detensi Aurora tempat Vizguerra ditahan. Pawai protes lainnya direncanakan di Denver pada hari Rabu.
Di halaman GoFundMe untuk mengumpulkan dana hukum, putri Vizguerra, Luna Baez, meminta dukungan dari komunitas.
“Ibu saya telah bertarung tanpa henti untuk komunitasnya dan saatnya bagi kita semua untuk sekarang bersatu dan menunjukkan semua dukungan untuknya seperti yang telah dilakukannya kepada kita,” katanya.
Apa yang terjadi selanjutnya?
Pengacara Vizguerra telah mengajukan banding darurat, mengatakan bahwa penahanannya melanggar haknya atas proses yang sepatutnya.
Dalam pernyataan kepada The Washington Post, pengacara Laura Lichter mengatakan bahwa pihak berwenang imigrasi mengandalkan perintah pengusiran tahun 2013 yang “penuh dengan kecacatan prosedural”.
“Tidak ada perintah pengusiran yang sah, dan ICE seharusnya telah mengetahui hal ini selama bertahun-tahun. Jika ICE melanjutkan dengan mencoba untuk mengeluarkannya tanpa kewenangan hukum, itu mengirimkan pesan yang menggigilkan tentang ketidakpedulian agensi terhadap proses hukum dan aturan hukum,” katanya.