DENVER — A federal judge in Denver will hear arguments Friday regarding the possible release of Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigration and labor activist who sought sanctuary in Colorado churches to avoid deportation during the Trump administration.
Vizguerra, who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 17, is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in suburban Denver. ICE states that Vizguerra, who entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 1997, is being detained pending her deportation. The agency asserts that she has a final deportation order and has received due process in U.S. immigration court.
However, Vizguerra’s legal team disputes the validity of the deportation order and has filed a legal challenge, asking U.S. District Judge Nina Wang to order her release. Judge Wang previously issued a temporary order halting Vizguerra’s deportation while the legal challenge is considered.
Vizguerra’s immigration history dates back to 2009 when ICE began efforts to deport her during the Obama administration. She was stopped by authorities in suburban Denver and found to be in possession of a fraudulent Social Security card. The card bore her name and birth date, but a different Social Security number, which Vizguerra claims she was unaware of at the time. This led to a judge’s order for her removal, but she was also offered the option to voluntarily depart the U.S. to visit her mother before her death in 2012.
Vizguerra’s lawyers argue that, since she left voluntarily and later re-entered the country, there is no valid removal order to reinstate. They have pointed to this as part of their case before Judge Wang.
While it is uncertain when Judge Wang will issue a ruling, she has acknowledged that the case involves complex legal issues and has noted that she could not find a similar case for reference.
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