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Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition > Press Release > Community Organizations and Elected Officials Demand Immediate Release of Jeanette Vizguerra Following Unjust ICE Detention

Community Organizations and Elected Officials Demand Immediate Release of Jeanette Vizguerra Following Unjust ICE Detention

March 18, 2025
Press Release
  • ICE Resistance

Denver, CO – Community organizations and elected officials across Colorado are calling for the immediate release of Jeanette Vizguerra, a beloved mother, grandmother, and longtime community leader, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unjustly and forcibly took her into custody without warning at her workplace Monday, March 17, 2025 and immediately transferred her to the GEO immigration detention center. Advocates believed she had been moved after observing men and women being loaded onto vans and driven to the airport. At 9:46am her family received a call from her saying she is inside GEO. Her lawyer was able to confirm at 10:15am.

Jeanette Vizguerra has fought her own deportation since 2009 while advocating for immigrant rights, labor protections, and family unity. She is a mother of four—including a permanent resident and three U.S. citizen children—and has lived in Colorado for nearly 30 years. Jeanette is a pillar of the community and has supported countless families. ICE had no reason to detain her—this cruel and unnecessary action is causing irreparable harm to her family and community. It is clear she is being targeted for her community organizing and critiques of the deportation system as well as her outspoken defense of human rights. 

Despite knowing they do not have a valid deportation order, ICE acted without notifying Ms. Vizguerra or her attorneys and placed her in the GEO Group for-profit detention center in Aurora. ICE’s actions raise serious due process concerns, and her attorneys are working to correct the legal errors behind her detention.

We, the undersigned organizations and elected officials, call on ICE to right this wrong and release Jeanette Immediately, stop her deportation. Jeanette belongs with her family. 

An Urgent Call to Action

Jeanette was able to briefly call her daughter on March 17 before facility officials cut off phone access for unknown reasons. Concerned for her safety, her family and community members held an all-night vigil outside the GEO detention center from Monday to Tuesday, gathering in song, drumming, chanting, candle lighting, and contacting congressional offices to demand her release.

ICE’s detention of Jeanette also mirrors other disturbing recent detentions of immigrants who have spoken out for justice, including Mr. Mahmoud Khalil and Ms. Leqaa Kordia, who have been unlawfully detained over the past week.

Sign and share the petition to free Jeanette: https://secure.afsc.org/a/freejeanette 

Donate to the family’s GoFundMe to cover legal costs: https://gofund.me/5cb78117

The family hopes this is an administrative error by ICE. However, if not, this unjust detention reflects a disturbing pattern of ICE targeting immigrant leaders without legal basis.

Join Us at for a Vigil Tonight, Tuesday, March 18th and a Rally on Wednesday, March 19th

The family is also calling on the community to attend a vigil tonight, Tuesday, March 18th at 6PM at the GEO detention center (3130 Oakland St, Aurora).

They are also calling for a rally in Denver in support of all those detained by ICE. Join us on Wednesday, March 19 at 3:30PM at the Tivoli Quad to demand justice for Jeanette, Mahmoud, Leqaa, and all those facing unjust detention and targeting violating their first amendment right to speech.

Who Is Jeanette Vizguerra?

Jeanette Vizguerra is one of the most recognized voices in the immigrant justice movement. In 2017, she was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people for her courage in standing against the U.S. immigration system that has long sought to separate her from her children.

She has worked tirelessly to build her community in Colorado, organizing with SEIU as a labor organizer, volunteering in her children’s schools, and supporting countless advocacy organizations, including:

  • Aurora Neighborhood Watch Program
  • Rights for All People
  • American Friends Service Committee
  • Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
  • National Domestic Workers Association
  • We Belong Together
  • Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition

Jeanette is also the founder of multiple community-led organizations, including Abolish ICE Denver and Sanctuary4All.

ICE’s attempt to deport Jeanette is an attack not just on her, but on every immigrant who has fought for dignity and justice. We demand her immediate release.

Signed,

Organizations:

  1. 18 Million Rising
  2. Accompaniment and Sanctuary Coalition, Colorado Springs
  3. Adalah Justice Project
  4. ACLU of Colorado
  5. Adams County Young Democrats
  6. Al Frente de La Lucha
  7. American Friends Service Committee
  8. Arapahoe Young Democrats
  9. Arvada Immigration Protection Team (IPT)
  10. Arvada United Methodist Church
  11. Aurora Unidos CSO
  12. Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
  13. Boulder Area Labor Council
  14. Boulder Area Sanctuary and Immigration Coalition (BASIC)
  15. Boulder County Immigrant Protection Team
  16. Boulder Students For Justice In Palestine
  17. Bring Our Neighbors Home Coalition
  18. Caring Across Generations
  19. Carolina Jews for Justice
  20. CASA
  21. Casa de Paz 
  22. Center for Health Progress 
  23. Centro de los Trabajadores de Colorado
  24. Chinook Fund
  25. Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
  26. Cobalt Advocates
  27. Colorado AFL-CIO
  28. Colorado Center on law and Policy 
  29. Colorado Circles for Change 
  30. Colorado Civic Engagement Roundtable
  31. Colorado Common Cause
  32. Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
  33. Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition 
  34. Colorado Fiscal Institute
  35. Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care
  36. Colorado Freedom Fund
  37. Colorado Immigrant Protection Teams
  38. Colorado Jobs With Justice
  39. Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO)
  40. Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
  41. Colorado People’s Alliance 
  42. Colorado Springs People’s Coalition
  43. ColoradoWild
  44. Communications Workers of America District 7
  45. Colorado Working Families Party 
  46. Colorado Young Democrats
  47. Communications Workers of America Local 7777
  48. Community Change Action
  49. Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center
  50. Conservation Colorado
  51. Convivir Colorado
  52. CORE: Community Organizing for Radical Empathy
  53. Democratic Women’s Caucus of Colorado
  54. Denver Aurora Community Action Committee
  55. Denver Classroom Teachers Association
  56. Denver Communists
  57. Denver Democratic Socialists of America
  58. Denver Immigrant Protection Team 
  59. Denver Justice and Peace Committee
  60. DSA Fort Collins
  61. Edgewater Collective
  62. Elephant Circle
  63. El Grupo Vida, Inc, Denver, CO
  64. El Movimiento Sigue, Pueblo, CO
  65. Embracing Nonviolence
  66. Family Values @ Work 
  67. Firebrand Communists
  68. First Unitarian Society of Denver
  69. First Universalist Church of Denver
  70. Foothills Unitarian Church, Fort Collins Colorado
  71. Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Denver
  72. Freedom To Thrive
  73. Fuerza Latina (CO)
  74. Grand Junction Immigrant Protection Team
  75. Grupo Esperanza de Colorado Springs 
  76. Hans Meyer Law Office 
  77. Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP)
  78. Hispanic Disability Support (Pasitos Gigantes)
  79. Housekeys Action Network Denver
  80. Hunger Free Colorado
  81. Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
  82. Immigrant Advocacy Committee of Mountains View Friends Meeting
  83. Immigrant Freedom Fund (CO)
  84. Indivisible CO7
  85. Indivisible Denver Action
  86. Indivisible Front Range Resistance
  87. Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
  88. InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia
  89. Inwood Indivisible
  90. ISAAC of Northern Colorado
  91. Jefferson County Democratic Latino Initiative 
  92. Jefferson Unitarian Church (Golden, CO)
  93. Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice of Western Mass
  94. Jewish Community Action
  95. Jewish Voice for Peace, Denver/Boulder Chapter
  96. Jewish Voice for Peace, Northern Colorado Pod
  97. Jobs With Justice
  98. Journey with Migrants Mission Partnership, Denver Presbytery
  99. Juntos Community 
  100. Lamar Unidos 
  101. Latina Initiative
  102. Latina SafeHouse
  103. LATINO – Latinos Associated Together Informing Networking and Outreaching
  104. Lavender Phoenix
  105. League of Women Voters of Colorado
  106. Local Progress Colorado
  107. Maine People’s Alliance
  108. Make the Road NV
  109. Make the Road NY
  110. Make the Road States 
  111. Michigan United
  112. Mi Familia en Acción
  113. Mi Familia Vota 
  114. Migrant Justice Solidarity Group with Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites
  115. MinKwon Center for Community Action 
  116. Mo Morris – Galewind Films
  117. Motus Theater
  118. MomsRising
  119. Mountain Pride
  120. Movimiento Poder 
  121. National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
  122. National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
  123. National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
  124. Never Again Action
  125. Nishant Upadhyay, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder
  126. New Era Colorado
  127. Ohio Immigrant Alliance
  128. Oneamerica, Washington state 
  129. One Colorado
  130. Our Voices Our Power United 
  131. Party for Socialism and Liberation – Denver
  132. PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union
  133. Peak Community Church
  134. People & Pollinators Action Network
  135. People Power United
  136. Pia Long, Elephant Circle
  137. Popular Democracy
  138. Progressive Democrats Initiative, Colorado Democratic Party
  139. ProgressNow Colorado Education
  140. Project Protect Food Systems Workers, a project of Front Line Farming
  141. Promotores de Esperanza
  142. Queer Crescent
  143. Rising Majority
  144. Rocky Mountain Equality
  145. RockyMountain Equality Action Fund
  146. Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN)
  147. Satya Yoga Cooperative
  148. Seed the Vote Action
  149. SEIU Local 105
  150. Servicios Sigue
  151. Shoes Off Collective
  152. Siegel Long Public Affairs 
  153. Social Justice Council, Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
  154. Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN)
  155. Soul 2 Soul Sisters
  156. Southeast Asian Freedom Network
  157. Southern Vision Alliance
  158. Street Fraternity 
  159. SURJ Denver
  160. Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
  161. The Action Lab 
  162. The Bell Policy Center
  163. The BIPOC Alliance of Northern Colorado
  164. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
  165. The Council of Mexican Federations in North America
  166. The G.I.F.T. Movement: Genocide Intolerance Forwarding Together
  167. The Immigration Task Force of Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church
  168. The New York Immigration Coalition 
  169. The Redress Movement,CO
  170. Together Colorado
  171. Towards Justice
  172. UltraViolet
  173. UMAS y Mecha de CU Boulder
  174. Voces Unidas de las Montañas
  175. Western Colorado Alliance
  176. Western States Center
  177. Women’s Lobby of Colorado
  178. Womxn From The Mountain 
  179. Yona Porat Law, LLC
  180. Young Invincibles Rocky Mountain Region 
  181. YouthSeen & Black Pride Colorado


Elected Officials & Local Leaders: 

  1. Amanda Gonzalez, Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder
  2. Amanda Perez. La Plaza Mesa County
  3. Barbara Durbin, Concerned citizen
  4. Ben Cowan, Boulder County Democratic Party Chair
  5. Braeden Miguel, Colorado Young Dems, National Committee Representative
  6. Brice Maiurro, Editor-in-Chief, South Broadway Press
  7. Bryan Lindstrom, Aurora Education Association, Political Committee Chair
  8. Celestial Alegría
  9. Chris Davis, Chair of the Colorado Young Democrats
  10. Commissioner Andy Kerr, Jefferson County, District 2
  11. Commissioner Emma Pinter, Adams County, Colorado
  12. Commissioner Jessica Campbell, Arapahoe County, District 2
  13. Commissioner John Kefalas, Larimer County, Colorado
  14. Commissioner Kristin Stephens, Larimer County
  15. Commissioner Marta Loachamin, Boulder County, District 2
  16. Commissioner Nina Waters, Summit County, CO
  17. Commissioner Tamara Pogue, Summit County, Colorado
  18. Councilman Joel Newton, Edgewater City Council
  19. Councilmember & Mayor Pro Tem Susie Hidalgo-Fahring, Longmont, Ward 3
  20. Councilmember Sarah Parady, Denver City Council, At Large
  21. Councilmember Shawna Ambrose, Arvada City Council District 2
  22. Councilor Isabel Cruz, Lakewood City Council, Ward 2
  23. Councilwoman Alicia Johnson, Evans City Council, Ward 3
  24. Councilwoman Alison Coombs, Aurora City Council, At-Large
  25. Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval, Denver City Council President 
  26. Councilwoman Crystal Murillo, Aurora City Council, Ward 1
  27. Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez, Denver City Council, District 7
  28. Councilwoman Hannah Gay Keao, City of Edgewater
  29. Councilwoman Jamie Torres, Denver City Council
  30. Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Denver City Council, At-large
  31. Councilwoman Shiquita Yarbrough, Longmont City At Large
  32. Councilwoman Shontel M. Lewis, Denver City Council, District 8 
  33. Council Womxn, Renée Chacon, Commerce City, Ward III
  34. Denver Public Schools, School Board Director Xóchitl Gaytán 
  35. Dr. Alejandra B. Portilos, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Regis University 
  36. Dr. Bryan Rojas-Araúz, In Lak’ech Counseling / DU Professor 
  37. Dr. Lynn Holland, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver
  38. Dr. Margaret Thompson, Professor Emerita, University of Denver
  39. Dr. Whitney L. Duncan, Professor of Anthropology, University of Northern Colorado
  40. Elizabeth Sullivan, First Vice Chair of Jefferson County Young Democrats
  41. Ellen Buckley, Board Chair, Women’s Lobby of Colorado
  42. Erin Myrent, Board Member, Women’s Lobby of Colorado
  43. Heidi Henkel, Broomfield City and County Ward 5
  44. Hon. former Councilmember Juan Marcano, Aurora, Ward 4
  45. Hon. Gail Pough, former State Representative 
  46. Hon. Leslie Herod, former Colorado State Representative 
  47. Hon. Polly Baca, former Colorado State Senator 
  48. Hon. Rey Galindo, former Colorado State Representative
  49. Hon. Tim Hernandez, former Colorado State Representative 
  50. Iriana Medina, La Plaza
  51. Jasmin Ramirez, Roaring Fork School District, School Board Vice Chair
  52. Jeremi Medina, Vice Chair of Community Engagement of Colorado Young Democrats
  53. Jeri Shepherd, former DNC member, chair, Weld County Democratic Party
  54. Joel Pancoast, Pastor – Zion Lutheran Church (ELCA), Loveland, CO
  55. José Torres Vega, Co-Executive Director, El Grupo Vida, Volunteer Non-Attorney Advocate, CCDC, Member of CDDC, Chairman, Rocky Mountain Human Services Board of Directors and Denver’s CAC, Member of JeffCo CAC
  56. Lisa Cutter, Colorado State Senate District 20, Assistant Majority Leader
  57. Liz Webb, Chair of the Weld Young Dems, host of The Left-Wing Wave
  58. Michael Neil, PhD, Volunteer Colorado Cross-Disability Committee, Member State Central Committee and State Executive Committee, Interim Chair Disability Strong Democrats, Colorado Democratic Party, and Platform Chair, Denver Democratic Party 
  59. Michael Westerberg, J.D. LL.M., Arapahoe County Colorado Treasurer
  60. Molly Fitzpatrick, Boulder County Clerk and Recorder
  61. Nick Hinrichsen, Colorado Senate District 3, Majority Whip
  62. Professor Aaron Schneider, University of Denver
  63. Rebecca Andruszka, Board Member, Women’s Lobby of Colorado
  64. Rebecca Galemba, Professor, DU Center for Immigration Policy & Research
  65. Rebecca Shelley, Faith and Justice Team, Our Saviour Lutheran Church
  66. Reilly Vail Jackson, Vice Chair of Communications for the Boulder Young Democrats 
  67. Representative Elizabeth Velasco, Colorado House District 57
  68. Representative Jennifer Bacon Colorado House District 7, Assistant Majority Leader,
  69. Representative Lorena Garcia, Colorado House District 35
  70. Representative Manny Rutinel, Colorado State District 32
  71. Reverend Amy Morgan, First United Presbyterian Church of Loveland
  72. Reverend Veronica Gould, Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland
  73. Samuel Jarris | 2nd Vice Chair Disability Strong Democrats
  74. Senator Cathy Kipp Colorado State Senate District 14
  75. Senator James Rashad Coleman, Sr. – Colorado Senate District 33, Colorado Senate President
  76. Senator Julie Gonzales, Colorado State Senate District 34
  77. Senator Mike Weissman, Colorado State Senate District 28
  78. Vicky Lopez, Chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Latino Initiative