Colorado Activist Jeanette Vizguerra's Bond Approval Offers Hope for Release After 9-Month Detention

A major breakthrough has been made in the long-standing immigration case of prominent Colorado activist Jeanette Vizguerra. An immigration judge has ruled that she can post a $5,000 bond and be released from detention after nine months. According to Jennifer Piper of the American Friends Service Committee, who has been working closely with Vizguerra's lawyers and family, the judge issued a written ruling on Sunday allowing the activist to post bond. Vizguerra's family and a nonprofit organization are working to secure the bond, which can take up to a day to process. Vizguerra, a labor and immigration rights advocate, gained national attention in 2017 when she took refuge in churches to avoid deportation. She was eventually arrested while working at a Denver-area Target store in March. The activist has been fighting deportation since 2009, after being pulled over for a traffic stop and found to possess a fraudulent Social Security card. Vizguerra's lawyers argue that ICE attempted to deport her based on an invalid order and challenged her detention in federal court. A recent federal court order required a bond hearing to determine whether Vizguerra should remain in detention while her immigration case is ongoing. The ICE and Department of Homeland Security have yet to comment on the matter. If the bond is successfully posted, Vizguerra will be released from detention, bringing an end to her nearly year-long ordeal.