Roughly 200 people marched a mile from Civic Center park to the First Unitarian Society of Denver and back Saturday afternoon to show support for Jeanette Vizguerra, who is currently at the church seeking sanctuary from deportation.
The crowd held signs saying “I stand with Jeanette Vizguerra and the 11+ million undocumented like her,” “Stop separating families” and anti-Trump slogans. They chanted, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.” Several passing cars honked in encouragement.
Crowd walking from Civic Center to the First Unitarian Church to support a stay of deportion for Jeanette Vizguerra pic.twitter.com/1Co4PAOGyD
— Danika Worthington (@Dani_Worth) February 18, 2017
Marchers heading back to Civic Center Park on Colfax are encouraged by lots of honks pic.twitter.com/8JL2qByee5
— Danika Worthington (@Dani_Worth) February 18, 2017
Vizguerra greeted the crowd at the church with her fist in the air, as her family and marchers surrounding her.
“We are in troubling times,” Vizguerra said through a translator. “Not only for immigrants but for everyone.”
Crowd chants, "Jeanette belongs here." pic.twitter.com/sjdT4iV6wt
— Danika Worthington (@Dani_Worth) February 18, 2017
Vizguerra, whose story has gained international attention, has been living in the church basement since Feb. 15 when she avoided a scheduled meeting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for fear of immediate detention and quick deportation. That same day, her request for a stay of removal, which temporarily halts deportation, was denied.
ICE had granted Vizguerra six stays of removal since her original order of removal was issued on Nov. 18, 2011.
Vizguerra said she intended to continue to fight from the church. She called for solidarity with another woman who is living in the country illegally and currently seeking sanctuary at Mountain View Friends Meeting. Her family collected donations Saturday for her legal fees and for those of other immigrants. Organizers encouraged people to sign a petition calling for a stay of her deportation.
"The people we have put in power, their job is not to work for Trump or anybody. Their job is to work for us." -Vizguerra thru a translator pic.twitter.com/diLl8GYS4l
— Danika Worthington (@Dani_Worth) February 18, 2017
Vizguerra entered the country illegally from Mexico in 1997 with her husband and daughter after her husband, a bus driver, had been held at gunpoint for the third time, according to the petition. She has lived in Colorado for 20 years now and had three more children who are U.S. citizens.
She worked as a janitor in office buildings and became an organizer of the Service Employees International Union local 105, according to the petition. She joined local advocacy group Rights for All People and founded the Colorado chapter for Dreamers Mothers in Action.
In 2009, she was arrested for driving without a license, according to the petition. During the traffic stop, a police officer found documents for a job with a phony Social Security number, resulting in a misdemeanor conviction. In 2013 — two years after a federal immigration judge issued final orders of deportation — she was caught entering the country illegally from Mexico.
The petition says she had gone to Mexico when her mother died. She couldn’t find good-paying work so decided to return to the U.S. seven months later.
Vizguerra has applied for a visa available to victims of crimes who have suffered mental and physical abuse and are helpful to officials investigating or prosecuting criminal activity, pointing to a circumstance when she was the victim in 2012.
First Unitarian Society of Denver gave sanctuary to Arturo Hernandez Garcia in 2014. He left the church in July 2015 after receiving a letter from immigration officials telling him he was no longer a deportation priority. He now lives in Denver with his family.
ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents follow guidelines for “sensitive locations,” such as churches and schools, that avoid enforcement actions unless prior approval is given or circumstances relate to national security, terrorism, public safety or an imminent risk of destruction of evidence in an ongoing criminal case. There is no specific law protecting churches.
Beyond its solidarity with Vizguerra, the Defend Our Constitution March was also to stand up for rights guaranteed in the Constitution that organizers feared were being attacked, such as freedom of religion, speech and peaceful assembly.
Prior to the march, One Billion Rising held a rally in Civic Center park calling for an end of violence toward women.