Attorneys for Denver immigrants' rights activist Jeanette Vizguerra say her due process rights are being violated
Attorneys for undocumented immigrant and longtime immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra have filed an amended legal claim alleging due process violations following her recent detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Vizguerra, who fled violence in Mexico City and has lived in the United States since 1997, was taken into custody by ICE several weeks ago. Her attorneys argue that her detention was politically motivated and tied to her outspoken activism on behalf of undocumented immigrants.
"This isn't just a technical problem -- it's a constitutional one," her lead attorney Laura Lichter said in a statement on Wednesday. "Jeanette was arrested without legal basis, the government repeatedly violated its own rules, and leadership openly celebrated her detention as political retribution. That's not law enforcement. That's retaliation."
The amended claim adds to ongoing legal efforts to challenge the circumstances surrounding her arrest, which her supporters say reflects a broader pattern of retaliatory action against immigration advocates.
Vizguerra first gained national attention in 2017 when she took sanctuary in a Denver church to avoid deportation. CBS News Colorado previously reported on her decision to live inside the church for 86 days, drawing widespread media coverage and support from immigration rights groups.
Federal prosecutors and immigration officials maintain that a years-old deportation order against Vizguerra remains in effect.
ICE confirmed last month that Vizguerra was arrested and said she's been granted due process in her proceedings.
"Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez, 53, was arrested without incident March 17 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States," an ICE spokesman previously said. "Vizguerra is a convicted criminal alien from Mexico who has a final order of deportation issued by a federal immigration judge. She illegally entered the United States near El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 24, 1997, and has received legal due process in U.S. immigration court."
Vizguerra's attorney and other supporters in the community maintain she's being targeted for her speech, not her immigration status.
"Targeting someone for their voice and views is the kind of conduct we expect from authoritarian regimes -- not a constitutional democracy," Lichter said. "For years, Jeanette has fought for the rights of others," said Lichter. "Now we're fighting to defend hers."
