"Thank you to everybody that is standing out here every Monday in solidarity not just with me but with everyone detained in GEO," Vizguerra said through an activist's iPhone held towards a crowd of supporters. "We're in a new time, in a new fight for civil rights...keep sowing rebellion until we reap freedom."
More than a hundred Vizguerra supporters gathered outside the Aurora detention center, which is used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants facing deportation,band operated and staffed largely by the GEO Group, a private prison company. Vizguerra has been there since her arrest by ICE in March.
Vizguerra first came to Denver from Mexico in 1997. During that time, she avoided multiple attempts by ICE to arrest and deport her because of her undocumented status. She's best known for escaping deportation during the first Trump administration by hiding in a Denver church in 2017.
"It's been 28 years that I've been doing this work, and each time, we're transforming the movement," Vizguerra said on Monday. "It has to remain clear to us that in this moment, the fight will be harder and tougher, but if we stay united and strong, we'll achieve a change in administration."
Her three-month standoff in the Denver church made Vizguerra a national symbol for resistance against Trump's immigration policies during his first term. Time named her one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2017, and the Biden administration promised in 2020 to block any deportation orders against her.
Less than two months after Trump returned to office this year, Vizguerra was arrested by ICE agents outside a Denver-area Target where she worked. Her lawyers argue that she was detained in retaliation for her activism against ICE. Vizguerra made that defense during her speech and referred to herself and the other immigrants detained at the facility as "political prisoners."
"I've been in this confinement for more than two months as a political prisoner for speaking my mind and defending my community, not just the immigrant community," she said. "It's for 28 years of supporting movements that have been helping hundreds of people, and today, I find myself here as a political prisoner in 2025."
More than a hundred people showed up to listen to Jeanette Vizguerra accept a human rights award despite being incarcerated.
Bennito L. Kelty
Vizguerra called the award "a very important recognition" during her speech on Monday.
"I'm very proud of my community in Colorado," said Vizguerra, who sounded more choked up as her speech went on. "I'm getting very emotional, because I want to be in the streets with you."
On Friday, May 30, Vizguerra's lawyers requested her release while she awaits a hearing, arguing that her absence is causing more harm to her family than any harm Vizguerra would cause to the community.
Vizguerra's award came amid more aggressive immigration enforcement under the new Trump administration. The federal policy that protected Vizguerra inside a church in 2017 has since been rescinded, allowing ICE to arrest immigrants in formerly safe spaces, like the entire family with a small child that was detained inside a Denver courthouse last week.
According to Congressman Jason Crow, more than 1,400 immigrants are detained in the Aurora ICE GEO facility alongside Vizguerra. Some of them were arrested during three large ICE raids in Colorado, with agents reportedly bursting into homes and arresting people who showed asylum paperwork.
According to Congressman Jason Crow, more than 1,400 immigrants are detained in the Aurora ICE GEO facility alongside Vizguerra. Some of them were arrested during three large ICE raids in Colorado, with agents reportedly bursting into homes and arresting people who showed asylum paperwork.
Since her arrest, Vizguerra's supporters have been hosting weekly vigils outside of the Aurora detention center every Monday. Jamie Laurie, the lead singer of the Denver-based band Flobots, often leads the weekly vigils for Vizguerra; he told the crowd that they were right outside of the cells where immigrants are detained. The windows were covered, but people imprisoned in the facility were able to wave, raise their fists and make hearts with their silhouettes.
In the crowd were people who had family members inside the facility. Araceli Sitan tells Westword that her husband, Hector, is detained there; she brought their son to see his dad through the covered window and fencing. She says that she recognized her husband's silhouette based on the curls in his hair. Hector was detained a month ago while riding his bike alone and currently faces deportation back to Honduras, Sitan says.
Vizguerra's speech "gave me a lot more strength, because in my situation I feel like I don't want to keep going anymore," Sitan says.
"The hardest part is taking care of the children and having to go to work at the same time," she adds. "It gives me a lot of strength to see that she's asking for help for people like me."
In the crowd were people who had family members inside the facility. Araceli Sitan tells Westword that her husband, Hector, is detained there; she brought their son to see his dad through the covered window and fencing. She says that she recognized her husband's silhouette based on the curls in his hair. Hector was detained a month ago while riding his bike alone and currently faces deportation back to Honduras, Sitan says.
Vizguerra's speech "gave me a lot more strength, because in my situation I feel like I don't want to keep going anymore," Sitan says.
"The hardest part is taking care of the children and having to go to work at the same time," she adds. "It gives me a lot of strength to see that she's asking for help for people like me."
Victor Galvan, the activist who held up the iPhone with Vizguerra on a video call, told people gathered outside that Vizguerra's legal fees are expected to total more than $100,000. Vizguerra asked supporters to donate to her legal defense during her speech.
"During the 28 years that I've been doing this work, I've been doing my work in an all-or-nothing way, but with my limited resources, I had to rely on a lot of people," Vizguerra said. "Now I'm asking for you all to help me...to continue my fight."
"During the 28 years that I've been doing this work, I've been doing my work in an all-or-nothing way, but with my limited resources, I had to rely on a lot of people," Vizguerra said. "Now I'm asking for you all to help me...to continue my fight."
Since her incarceration, Vizguerra has spoken publicly only a couple of times. She released a public statement on May 18 accepting the RFK award, and journalist Maria Hinojosa interviewed her for Democracy Now! on Wednesday, May 28.
On Monday, Vizguerra called on supporters across the country to come together on July 17 to mark three months of her incarceration in the Aurora detention center, and asked them to promote "Free Jeanette Day" on social media.
"Do anything you can think of to get a national campaign going and to free these political prisoners," Vizguerra said. "It's not just me. There are other leaders who have led pro-Palestine marches who are now in the same situation as me."
"Do anything you can think of to get a national campaign going and to free these political prisoners," Vizguerra said. "It's not just me. There are other leaders who have led pro-Palestine marches who are now in the same situation as me."
Vizguerra ended her speech with another appeal for help and by urging people to fight for their loved ones.
"Help me get back out onto the streets, teaching you how to fight, how to resist, how to confront and how to be civilly disobedient," Vizguerra said. "This government isn't going to do us any favors. We have to fight for families, for our communities and keep moving forward."
