In brief
After nine months in detention, Jeanette Vizguerra has been allowed to post a $5,000 bond for her release. Advocacy from her family and nonprofit groups has played a crucial role in this decision. Vizguerra, who has fought deportation since 2009, gained attention for seeking refuge in churches to avoid deportation under the Trump administration. This ruling follows a series of legal challenges against her detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
DENVER (AP) — Supporters of prominent Colorado immigration and labor activist Jeanette Vizguerra celebrate as an immigration judge has ruled she can post bond and be released after spending nine months in detention. As confirmed by Jennifer Piper of the American Friends Service Committee, Vizguerra can post a $5,000 bond following a decision made on Sunday. Efforts are currently underway by her family and a nonprofit group to process the bond.Starting in 1997, Vizguerra has been fighting against deportation since 2009, following an incident where she was stopped by law enforcement and found in possession of a fraudulent Social Security card. Her case has raised questions regarding the validity of the deportation order against her, and she has legally challenged her detention in federal court, arguing that the order was never valid.Vizguerra first gained public attention after seeking refuge in churches in Colorado to evade deportation during the Trump administration. She was later arrested while working at a Denver-area Target store on March 17. Recently, a federal judge ordered a bond hearing to determine her continued detention as her immigration case unfolds. Emails seeking comments from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have yet to receive a response.
