ICE Frees Colorado Immigration Activist Jeanette Vizguerra

The Colorado Independent ^ | August 09, 2013 | Julia Gonzales

[moonshinner_09]

What would you do if your mother, thousands of miles away, was dying and it would jeopardize your immigration status to see her one last time?

It was February 2, 2004, my junior year at college. I’d just stepped out of my linguistics class when my dad phoned to tell me that my mom’s diabetes had worsened. She was in Intensive Care at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He told me that I needed to come home. I freaked out. I didn’t have any money for a plane ticket to get home from New Haven, Connecticut. Thankfully, my friends sprang into action. My roommate did my laundry, packed my suitcase, and rushed me to the airport, where I flew home with a ticket bought by my dean that afternoon. My dad picked me up at the airport just hours before mom passed away early the next morning. At least I was able to hold her hand at the end.

In the years since, given my work with immigrant communities, I often find myself reflecting on that frantic day. Even as a broke college student, it was easy for me to drop everything to be with my family when it mattered most.

But for my friend Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigrant rights activist and undocumented mother of three kids who are U.S. citizens, the September 2012 phone call about her mother’s rapidly progressing terminal cancer presented her with a far tougher set of decisions. By the time the call came from Mexico, Jeanette had been battling for three years to stay in the United States. A 2009 traffic stop had landed her in immigration proceedings, and the government had ordered her deportation from the country (the feds prefer the antiseptic word “removal”).

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TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: aliens; immigration

[moonshinner_09]

After burying her mother, Jeanette grew depressed in the six months she spent in Mexico City, scrambling to find a job where there were none. Her kids back home in Aurora were struggling emotionally without their mom..Why is it every story you read,the kids are struggling emotionally without their mom or father ? It is as if illegals are implying they are the only ones whom endure this hardship and act like only their families matter.How about some illeals talk about the families whom lost live ? From using this an example an illegal driving drunk, no license/insurance,he causes a fatal accident and both parent die the childern in the car is survive. I never see the illegals speak about the kind of hardships they cause unto others. It's always,me,me,me,me,me.Does anybody really think she will ever be deported ?

[Tennessee Nana]

My-tiny-violin-is-at-the-cleaners PING

[drunknsage]

She’s obviously never been the victim of identity theft. We used to consider it a crime. For these people it is a way of life for which they refuse to be held accountable.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” My-tiny-violin-is-at-the-cleaners PING”

bet my tiny violin, is smaller than YOUR tiny violin.

[Tennessee Nana]

Ah but does it have just one string ???

The rest on mine went for taxes...

:)

[VanShuyten]

Dear Jeanette,
Life can be tough. You make it tougher for yourself every time you break the law.
Boo hoo.
Sincerely,
VanShuyten

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Ah but does it have just one string ???”

It had two, but I yanked em out : )

[bravo whiskey]

” My-tiny-violin-is-at-the-cleaners PING” bet my tiny violin, is smaller than YOUR tiny violin."

i don't evven play one anymore

[Tennessee Nana]

Played it too rough due to your depression after you heard about this poor woman eh ???

yes she is the most unfortunate woman in America..

Im on my way to the cleaners to get my one-string Stradivarius

do I really need to add the /s ???

[stephenjohnbanker]

LOL!