Jeanette Vizguerra is a mother of four who is living in the country illegally. She has become the latest face of President Donald Trump’s promise to deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes.
In 2009, Vizguerra was cited for driving without a license, insurance, or registration. As police investigated further, they discovered that she had also forged documents and used a fake social security card to gain employment.
Prosecutors charged her with a number of identity-theft related crimes. Ultimately, Vizguerra took a plea deal and pled guilty to “attempted possession of forged instruments.”
Since taking office, President Trump has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to begin deporting anyone in the country illegally who has been convicted of other crimes. Jeanette Vizguerra falls under this executive order.
She was supposed to check-in with her local ICE field office, however she feared that she would be deported and never showed up. Now, the Trump administration is using this absence as an excuse to deport her.
Jeanette Vizguerra is currently seeking sanctuary at the Denver First Unitarian Church. In 2014, this same congregation offered sanctuary to an illegal alien named Arturo Garcia after he lost his legal fight to remain in the country.
The church held a press conference today detailing their plans and the steps forward in fighting against Vizguerra’s deportation. Unfortunately for her, the law is not on her side.
Towards the end of the press conference, Vizguerra was asked what she had to say to her critics who point out that she pled guilty to a crime. She responded that she forged identity documents and lied on Federal documents to feed her family.
She has sought sanctuary in a church because “places of worship” are currently considered “sensitive locations” for immigration enforcement. When avoidable, ICE agents refrain from entering sensitive locations like schools and health care facilities. However, there is no law that explicitly prevents Federal agents from enforcing immigration law on church property.
So, the standoff begins. When the First Unitarian Church shielded Arturo Garcia from deportation in 2014, it came while the Obama administration was actively working on an executive order to shield illegal aliens from deportation. The Trump administration, on the other hand, has adopted a policy of strict immigration enforcement.
Congregation members were hopeful today that they would be able to shield Jeanette Vizguerra from deportation. “However long it takes,” one area resident said, “if they try to deport her, we’ll have thousands of people down here to stop them.”
