Prominent Colorado immigration and labor activist Jeanette Vizguerra is set to be released from detention after an immigration judge ruled she can post a $5,000 bond. Vizguerra has been held for nine months. The ruling, issued Sunday, allows for her release pending the resolution of her immigration case, according to supporters.
Jennifer Piper of the American Friends Service Committee, who has been working with Vizguerra’s legal team and family, confirmed the judge’s decision. Vizguerra’s family and a nonprofit organization dedicated to posting bonds for individuals in immigration detention were actively working on Monday to finalize the bond payment. The process for posting and processing such bonds can often take a day or more to complete.
Vizguerra, who arrived in Colorado from Mexico City in 1997, first gained national attention during the Trump administration. She sought refuge in churches across Colorado to avoid deportation, becoming a symbol for immigrant rights advocates. Her arrest on March 17 occurred in the parking lot of the Denver-area Target store where she was employed.
The legal battle over Vizguerra’s immigration status dates back to 2009. At that time, she was stopped in a traffic incident in suburban Denver and found to be in possession of a fraudulent Social Security card. While the card bore her name and birth date, it contained another individual’s Social Security number, a detail Vizguerra’s lawyers stated she was unaware of at the time.
Vizguerra’s defense team has consistently argued that the deportation order against her was invalid and has challenged her prolonged detention in federal court. A federal judge recently mandated that a bond hearing take place in immigration court. This hearing was crucial to determine whether Vizguerra should remain in custody at a detention facility near Denver while her immigration proceedings continue.
This development marks a significant moment for Vizguerra and her supporters, who have been advocating for her release and highlighting her case as an example of the broader challenges faced by many in the immigration system. The focus now shifts to the processing of her bond and her eventual release as her legal journey continues.
