A federal judge has halted the deportation of illegal immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez – effectively blocking orders coming directly from the President. How can this stand?
At a glance:
• Federal Judge Nina Wang temporarily blocked ICE from deporting illegal immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez
• Vizguerra-Ramirez illegally entered the US in 1997 and has a 1999 conviction for possessing a forged Social Security card
• ICE arrested her on March 17 at a Target store in Denver where she worked
• Her attorneys claim no valid deportation order exists despite ICE stating she has received due process
• Vizguerra-Ramirez previously gained national attention for hiding in Denver churches to avoid deportation during the Trump administration
Judge Blocks Deportation of Criminal Illegal Immigrant
US District Judge Nina Wang has issued an injunction preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from removing illegal immigrant activist Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez from the country. The Mexican national, who entered the United States illegally in 1997, has been battling deportation for years following a 1999 conviction for possessing a forged Social Security card.
Judge Wang ordered the government to justify by March 24 why Vizguerra-Ramirez should not be released from detention.
ICE Maintains Legal Deportation Order Exists
The Denver ICE office has said that Vizguerra-Ramirez has a final order of deportation issued by a federal immigration judge.
“Vizguerra 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,” the agency explained in a statement.
ICE officials arrested Vizguerra-Ramirez on March 17 at a Target store in Denver where she worked. The agency has designated her as a “convicted criminal alien” with a deportation order stemming from her 1999 conviction for document fraud.
Her attorneys have filed both a writ of habeas corpus and a petition for review with the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the validity of her deportation order. “No lawful removal order exists, and ICE would have known this for years. If ICE proceeds with trying to remove her without legal authority, it sends a chilling message about the agency’s disregard for due process and the rule of law,” claimed Vizguerra’s lawyer Laura Lichter.
History of Evading Immigration Enforcement
Vizguerra-Ramirez gained national attention during the Trump administration for seeking refuge in Denver churches to avoid deportation. Her defiance of immigration laws earned her recognition from liberal media outlets, with Time magazine naming her one of their 100 most influential people in 2017.
She is currently pursuing a U visa, a form of immigration relief for crime victims, though details about what crime she allegedly experienced remain unclear. Her reprieve from deportation issued by ICE expired in February 2024, prompting the agency to move forward with her removal.
The mother of four, including three US-born children, is currently being held at a detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. A hearing in the case is scheduled for March 28, with federal officials ordered to submit their response by March 24.
