Immigrant-Rights Activists Say Jared Polis Has Turned His Back on Them

Jeanette Vizguerra wasn't able to attend a rally outside the Capitol on Monday, May 13. But the immigrant-rights activist currently living in sanctuary made sure that someone read her words out loud. And they weren't kind to Governor Jared Polis.

"I do not know you anymore," she wrote.

Vizguerra has been in the crosshairs of the immigration system for a decade, ever since the Mexican national and mother of four was pulled over during a routine traffic stop. Vizguerra, also a labor organizer, was arrested on charges related to using someone else's Social Security number and entering the U.S. unlawfully in 1997.

When Vizguerra's deportation appeared imminent in 2017, she took sanctuary in the First Unitarian Church in Capitol Hill. That year, TIME magazine included her in its list of the world's 100 most influential people.

In 2017, Polis visited Vizguerra while she was seeking sanctuary at the church. During his visit, he referred to the Denver ICE field office director as a "rogue" employee and called for a stay of Vizguerra's deportation. That same year, Polis even introduced a private bill in Congress so that Vizguerra would be granted a stay. The bill didn't pass, but ICE granted Vizguerra a two-year stay, which just came to an end. Vizguerra re-entered sanctuary in March.

Read more: https://www.westword.com/news/immigrant-rights-activists-say-jared-polis-has-turned-his-back-on-them-11343160