A mother of four facing impending deportation from the United States has taken sanctuary in a Denver church in hope of gaining a “stay of deportation.”
Jeanette Vizguerra, who is in the country illegally, avoided a scheduled meeting with U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials and instead declared sanctuary at the First Unitarian Society of Denver.
Vizguerra’s declaration of sanctuary came after her “stay of removal expired” and she feared a scheduled meeting with ICE on Wednesday would have resulted in immediate detention and quick deportation.
“It will not end today,” Vizguerra said Wednesday to the applause of supporters.
On Dec. 6, her lawyer, Hans Meyer, submitted an application renewal of her stay of deportation, which expired Feb. 7.
Vizguerra’s stand rallied support from various community members and groups, including the We Belong Together campaign, which hand-delivered a letter to ICE headquarters Wednesday afternoon seeking a “stay of removal or the closure” of her case, according to a WBT media release.
Several local elected officials also voiced support for Vizguerra, who entered the country illegally from Mexico in 1997 with her husband.
“What’s happening to Jeanette Vizguerra is appalling and the result of a broken immigration system — a system made worse by the chaotic actions of the White House and ICE,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said in a news release. “Jeanette is not a threat to our community. She is a mother of four, an active community member and someone who has persistently pursued legal status through the proper channels.”
Vizguerra, described as a longtime leader in immigrant and labor movements, has applied for a U visa, which is granted to victims of crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse. Hancock’s office signed a document in August 2015 supporting her pending U visa application. In 2009, she was charged with not having a license or insurance and for having an expired license plate, but those charges were dismissed, court records show. She also was charged in connection with using a made-up — not stolen — Social Security number. She pleaded guilty to “attempted possession of a forged instrument.” Identity theft and other similar charges were dropped, records show.
Vizguerra has three children, ages 6, 10 and 12, who are U.S. citizens. She has an adult daughter with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and a 2-year-old grandson.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Democrat from Colorado’s 1st District, said Wednesday that Vizguerra would be granted “lawful status” to remain in the country if HR 752, now before the U.S. House of Representatives, passes.
“The unique circumstances of this case calls for compassion,” DeGette said in a news release. “Jeanette Vizguerra has lived in this country for two decades, is respected in her community and has contributed to civil society in Colorado in numerous ways. Together with other officials in Colorado, I am following up with the Trump administration on this matter. We are aggressively pursuing all avenues to ensure a just resolution.”
HR 72, sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado’s 2nd District, is titled: “For the relief of Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez.”
“The Trump administration’s actions have created fear throughout the immigrant community, forcing productive members of our cities and towns to retreat into sanctuary in order to remain united with their families,” Polis said in a news release. “It is a shame that Jeanette, a victim of a crime herself, is being re-victimized by our failed immigration system and deceptive enforcement priorities.”
This is not the first time First Unitarian Society has offered sanctuary.
Arturo Hernandez Garcia spent nine months living in the basement of the Denver church starting in October 2014. Garcia left the church after receiving a letter from immigration officials telling him he was no longer an enforcement priority.
Garcia came to the attention of immigration officers in 2010 after an altercation at a job site where he and his crew were laying floor tile, he says. He was arrested and later found innocent of charges in the encounter, but ICE nevertheless issued an order of deportation, he said.
Garcia entered the United States in 1999 and married his wife Ana, 40. The couple had two girls, Mariana, 16, and Andrea, 10.
Garcia remained in the United States after his visa expired. His wife’s father is a citizen, and her mother has legal permanent resident status. The couple has unsuccessfully petitioned the government to allow him to stay.
