In brief
Jeanette Vizguerra, who gained recognition for seeking refuge in churches to avoid deportation, has been granted a $5,000 bond to secure her release after nearly nine months in immigration detention. Advocates are working diligently to finalize the bond payment, as Vizguerra's legal team contends that her detention is based on invalid orders. A recent federal ruling allowed for a bond hearing, bringing hope for her release as her immigration case progresses.
DENVER (AP) — Supporters of Jeanette Vizguerra, a notable immigration and labor activist in Colorado, have received encouraging news as an immigration judge has ruled she can post bond after enduring nine months in detention. The judge's written ruling, issued on Sunday, permits Vizguerra to secure her release by posting a $5,000 bond, according to Jennifer Piper from the American Friends Service Committee, who has been collaborating with Vizguerra's legal representatives and family.Efforts were underway on Monday to facilitate the bond posting, with Vizguerra's family and a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals in immigration detention involved in the process. However, the processing of the bond could take a day or more.Vizguerra rose to national prominence during the Trump administration after she sought refuge in various churches throughout Colorado to avoid deportation orders. Her legal troubles began in 2009 when she was arrested for possessing a fraudulent Social Security card. The card, while issued under her name and birth date, was associated with someone else's actual number — a fact that Vizguerra was unaware of at the time.Her legal team argues that the deportation efforts against her stem from orders deemed invalid and are actively contesting her detention in federal court. Recently, a federal judge mandated a bond hearing to assess whether Vizguerra should continue to be held in a suburban Denver detention facility as her immigration proceedings advance.
