The renowned defender of migrants who took refuge 3 years in a church and was now arrested by Trump to be deported

In 2017, the Immigrant Jeanette Vizguerra was worldwide news when, along with his four children, he took refuge in a church in Denver, Colorado, to avoid being arrested and deported. It was the first government of Donald Trump and the authorities of USA They reaped their operations to stop and expel undocumented from the country. On the night of last Monday, the Mexican was finally arrested and her family fears that she is deported very soon.

The EFE agency reported that the American Friends Services Committee (AFSC, a non -profit organization that defends the rights of immigrants) confirmed that Vizguerra53 years, It was arrested by agents of the Customs Immigration and Control Service (ICE) and transferred to the Geo Detention Center, in Auroraeast of Denver.

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On Tuesday, the lawyers of Vizguerra presented a resource of habeas corpus Before a federal court, arguing that the arrest was illegal.

How was the arrest? According to CNN, on Monday ICE agents appeared at the store Target Where the woman worked. She was taking a break from her work shift when she was arrested.

“From there they uploaded her to a truck”, His daughter said Luna Báezwho could talk to his mother after the arrest. “He told me that they laughed at her all the time.”

After his arrest, the ICE showed her handcuff and chained from the waistas regularly seen to high profile criminals in cuts in the United States. He also convicted that he will be deported to Mexico.

The mayor of Denver, Mike Johnstoncriticized the government of Trump For the arrest of Vizguerrawho Activist for the rights of migrants And he has worked on cleaning buildings and as a union organizer, the AP agency reported.

“This is not to enforce immigration laws with the intention of maintaining the security of our country. This is a putin -style political dissidents persecution”, Said the mayor in a statement.

At this point, it should be noted that Denver is considered a sanctuary citybecause it has adopted policies that limit the cooperation of local authorities with ICE.

In 2017, Denver approved an ordinance that prohibits the police and other municipal officials asking about the immigration status of people, as well as stop someone only for a request for ICE. In addition, the city does not support administrative immigration arrests without a court order. These measures seek to protect undocumented immigrants and avoid their deportation.

Who is Jeanette Vizguerra?

Jeanette Vizguerra He was born in the Mexico City. In 1997, he migrated like undocumented to Colorado with her husband and eldest daughter, looking for better opportunities and security. The couple then had three more children, all born in USA.

According to CNN, Vizguerra’s husband had been kidnapped three times while working as a bus driver In Mexico City.

During their early years in the United States, Vizguerra worked as a housekeeper, janitor and house painter.

In 2009, the woman entered the radar of the authorities when She was accused of not having a driving or insurance license and carrying the overdue registration. These charges were dismissed, according to judicial records reviewed by CNN.

Then, Vizguerra was accused of using a false social security number In a job application. He declared himself guilty of “attempt to possession of a falsified instrument.”

After gaining notoriety before the immigration authorities, Vizguerra He spent three and a half years appealing several deportation orders, CNN said.

Vizguerra He left an appeal in 2012, when he learned that his mother, whom he had not seen for 15 years, suffered from a terminal disease In Mexico and decided to leave the United States to see it, according to CNN.

The mother of Vizguerra He died and She remained in Mexico for seven monthsseparated from her husband and children.

Finally, CNN counts, He paid a smuggler to help her cross the United States on the border, But it was arrested by border patrol agents In Texas.

Activists who defend immigrants advocated their release and They achieved a suspension of their deportation.

CNN explained that since then, Vizguerra could remain in the United States even with a visa ugranted to victims of certain crimes that have suffered physical or mental abuse and that cooperate with the authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. It was created in 2000 under the Protection Law of Victims of Trafficking and Violence (TVPA) to protect undocumented immigrants who have been victims of serious crimes and provide them with a path to legal residence.

2017 was a key year for Vizguerra, as his application to remain in the country was denied and his deportation.

Vizguerra did not give the authorities And he chose to remain in the basement of the Church of the First Unitary Societyin Denver, along with his children for the next three years.

It was not arrested because ICE avoided doing operations in places of worship.

Vizguerra He then became a firm defender of a migratory reform that legalizes the situation of 11 million undocumented, procedure that depends on the United States Congress.

In 2017, while she remained refugee in the Church, Time magazine included it among the 100 most influential people in the world. CNN said that Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, John Lewis and Vladimir Putin also appeared on this list.

In 2019, immigration authorities rejected a new request to cancel the deportation of Vizguerra. But thanks to the intervention of congressmen of Coloradoobtained temporary protection, which expired in 2020.

Despite this, he left the Church in 2020. It was not deported during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.

Now, after his arrest on Monday, an former ICE official celebrated what happens to Vizguerra. “Finally, the Biden government prevented me from deporting Jeanette Vizguerra four years ago. It should have also been deported in 2009, ”wrote John Fabbricatore, former director of the Field Office of ICE In Denver, in the social network X.

“He hid in a church the first time Trump He was president. He is a criminal, hates Trump and defends the opening of borders and the abolition of ICE. Bye bye!”he added.

While his destination is decided, Senators for Colorado, John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett; and the mayor of Denver, Mike Johnstonthey are making arrangements to avoid deportation of Vizguerra.

“This is not immigration control. This is a mother of American citizens, employee of Target and founder of a non -profit organization,” Johnston said in a Facebook video. “This does not make our community safer. It makes it anarchic.”

In addition, dozens of people demonstrated in front of the detention center where the activist is demanding their release.