Aurora, CO – On the morning of December 22, Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigrant rights activist detained by ICE in March of this year, was released on bond from the GEO ICE detention facility in Aurora.

In the evening of December 21, the American Friends Service Committee announced that Vizguerra had finally won release with a $5000 bond after a nine-month detention.

Vizguerra was abducted by ICE from her workplace on March 17 without warning. Throughout her imprisonment at the GEO detention facility, she faced constant threats of deportation without a valid order.

Vizguerra, known as a local community organizer, but also recognized nationally for her work as an advocate for immigrant rights and sanctuary, was notably named one of Time magazine's “100 Most Influential People” in 2017. She is a staple at protests and local events.

In the past nine months, the communities of Denver and Aurora organized weekly vigils every Monday evening outside the GEO facility. At least a dozen protests were organized in both cities against the detention of Vizguerra and other community members, at which several of her family members spoke. Organizations like Aurora Unidos CSO, Shoes Off Collective, American Friends Service Committee, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and the ACLU consistently supported and gave updates on Vizguerra’s legal struggle and the horrid conditions inside the Aurora GEO detention facility.

In the afternoon after Vizguerra’s release, community members and organizations gathered outside the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse in Denver to celebrate the victory.

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