Dear Merrill,
You may know already about Jeanette Vizguerra, a Colorado community leader and mother, who has led the fight against her own deportation since 2009. She is the mother of
four children – a permanent resident, and three U.S. citizen children.
On Monday March 17, 2025 ICE acted without a valid deportation order and without notifying Ms. Vizguerra or her lawyers. She was suddenly taken into ICE custody
and placed at the GEO Group for-profit detention facility.
ICE appears to be readying to possibly deport her even though the agency knows they don’t have a valid deportation order. Her attorneys have raised serious legal errors
and are concerned her due process rights are being violated.
Ms. Vizguerra was able to briefly call her daughter on March 17 before the facility cut off phone access for unknown reasons. Concerned for her safety, her family led an
all-night vigil outside GEO from Monday to Tuesday with dozens of community members. Participants are engaged in songs and drumming as well as chanting, candle lighting and contacting congressional offices.
Please take three action steps today!
- Please join the family in their vigil at GEO if you see this before 11am (3130
Oakland St Aurora) on March 18th.
- Please sign and share the petition to free Jeanette
https://secure.afsc.org/a/freejeanette
- The family have started a gofundme
Fundraiser by Tania Tabullo Baez : Help reunite my family to cover the legal and other costs. Please contribute as able and share!
The family hopes the whole incident is an error on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s part.
If not an error, ICE’s detention of Jeanette would appear to match those of Mr. Mahmoud Khalil and Ms. Lequaa Kordia – both immigrants targeted in an irregular manner and
being held unlawfully in detention over the last week. They organized and spoke out for a ceasefire.
The family requests you attend the rally in Denver in support of them on March 19 at 3:30pm on the Tivoli quad.
BACKGROUND
Jeanette Vizguerra is a Colorado community leader who is facing deportation and removal back to Mexico. Jeanette has led the fight against her own deportation since 2009.
In 2017, Jeanette was recognized as one of Time Magazine's most influential people for standing up against the oppressive immigration system that sought to separate her from her children.
Jeanette has been a voice not only for herself, but for others. She is the pillar of the family; her children and grandchildren are the motivation in her life. She provides
security and confidence in their young lives and wants to continue to protect them.
Jeanette has lived in Colorado for almost 30 years. She has given a large part of her time to advocate for her community. She has worked for SEIU as a labor organizer and
volunteered with her children's schools, the Aurora Neighborhood Watch Program, Rights for All People, the American Friends Service Committee, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, National Domestic Worker's Association and We Belong together, as well as founded
several organizations like Dreamer's Mothers in Action-Colorado, Abolish ICE Denver, Sanctuary4All and more. Jeanette has worked tirelessly to build her community in Colorado and has inspired many with her courage and passion.
In solidarity
