Jeanette Vizguerra is a tireless activist and a symbol of resilience in the Latino community. Thanks to her leadership and perseverance, it became possible for Colorado residents without immigration documents to obtain driver鈥檚 licenses, which allows them to move more safely and with dignity in their daily lives.
Moreover, her work has been instrumental in defending fundamental human rights. For years, Vizguerra has been on the front lines, defending those who, like her, seek a safe home and a dignified future here in the United States. Today, in the midst of a climate of growing uncertainty and fear of possible mass deportations, she joins us to share her perspectives and her ongoing fight.
In an era where immigration policies continue to create uncertainty, fear and challenges for families across the United States, Vizguerra stands as a beacon of resilience and leadership. Vizguerra has dedicated her life to advocating for those without a voice, empowering her community to navigate the complex realities they face.
In a recent conversation with La Ciudad, she discusses the impact of today鈥檚 political climate on immigrant families, particularly the youth, and underscores the importance of collective organization, education and self-defense as the community prepares for the years ahead.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
La Ciudad: Jeanette, for those who still don鈥檛 know your story, could you tell us a little about how your activism began and what motivated you to become a defender of immigrant rights?
Jeanette Vizguerra: Throughout my 26 years of activism, I鈥檝e never used the media for recognition or fame. For me, the media is just one more tool that allows me to reach more people and homes, to raise awareness about why we must defend our rights, our struggles, and above all, our families.
Right now, we鈥檙e living in a climate of great anxiety; people are panicked. I really felt this when people began to realize that former President (Donald) Trump had won. My social networks, especially my profile, which I use precisely for this purpose, were flooded with messages. People, not only from Colorado but from all over the country 鈥� even outside the country 鈥� started asking: 鈥淲hat are we going to do if Donald Trump fulfills his threats of mass deportations?鈥�
La Ciudad: Right now, there鈥檚 a lot of fear in the community about the possibility of mass deportations. What would you say to families and people who live with the constant fear of being separated from their loved ones?
Vizguerra: My response was, 鈥淲hat are we going to do? We鈥檙e going to continue living our normal lives. We鈥檙e going to live without fear.鈥� Here in Colorado, we鈥檝e already faced extremely harmful laws for immigrants in the past, like SB-90, Secure Communities, and 287(g) 鈥� and we survived.
And how did we survive? By educating ourselves, organizing, knowing our rights, and above all, fighting. Governments cannot rule our lives. Yes, I won鈥檛 deny that difficult, very difficult times are coming. Yesterday, we heard that he appointed Stephen Miller and Tom Homan to his cabinet, two of the most anti-immigrant and racist people there are.
What I鈥檓 telling my community is that it鈥檚 time to get organized, to educate ourselves, to spread 鈥淜now Your Rights鈥� workshops everywhere, and above all, to create family plans. Many people are homeowners, business owners; they have material assets, cars, bank accounts. It鈥檚 time to talk to a lawyer to create a power of attorney so that a trusted person, whether a family member or a friend, can take care of their affairs, especially if they have minor children.
This is something essential that could be needed if, God forbid, they are detained or deported, so their children can be temporarily taken care of. Typically, our community doesn鈥檛 do this. They should keep all important documents in one place and make three copies of each, giving one copy to that trusted person. Also, they should identify a lawyer who could potentially be their defender. When everything is in order, everything flows more smoothly.
When we create family plans and know our rights, we teach even the children not to open the door unless there鈥檚 a judge-signed warrant. Don鈥檛 let them in your home, as anyone undocumented inside could be detained. These are basic steps, but it鈥檚 also essential not to spread fear in the community. We already went through Trump鈥檚 administration; the last four years were hard, difficult.
I want people to hear this clearly. During that time, I was sheltered in a church in a sanctuary. Even while in sanctuary, I organized, I educated myself, and I went out into the streets to protest, risking my own safety. Because they cannot dictate our lives. Yes, we must prepare, but not live in fear. I entered sanctuary in 2017.
Then, the pandemic came, and churches were completely empty. I wondered, what will I do now? I couldn鈥檛 create events for my livelihood. Families and undocumented individuals asked for my support because their loved ones in detention were at risk, lacking adequate care.
Even then, I organized a camp outside GEO that lasted 89 days. We achieved incredible things. I held protests outside ICE officials鈥� homes, closed the ICE headquarters in Centennial because we must fight. I鈥檓 not going to let them detain me or try to separate me from my family without a fight.
If I can do it, so can you. We have to muster the courage to defend ourselves. Because a person full of hate, attacking the immigrant community and LGBTQ+ community, can harm us with Project 2025, affecting many aspects of our lives. We cannot let this go unchallenged.
La Ciudad: You鈥檝e seen how community support can make a difference. What can we do, as a community, to resist and support each other in these difficult times?
Vizguerra: First, we need to empathize with affected people 鈥� those with TPS, those with DACA, those with asylum, and those facing deportation without any process in place. To this government, simply entering irregularly makes you a criminal in their eyes.
You can鈥檛 say it won鈥檛 affect you because you don鈥檛 have a criminal record. There will be collateral damage. When we鈥檙e united, well-organized and activated, we can create change, like we did here in Colorado.
As I mentioned, we had anti-immigrant laws here, but after 10 years of hard work between organizations, we made progress. Sometimes we may disagree, but when it鈥檚 about defending our community, we come together. We documented cases, listened to stories, spoke with police, explaining why they shouldn鈥檛 cooperate with immigration.
People lose trust in the police when they cooperate with immigration, separating families and harming U.S. citizen children. This is a long process of education. Now, we activists understand we must educate the latest wave of immigrants who need to join this fight.
We鈥檙e not in a place to divide. Other communities, like the African-American community, are also being targeted with hate messages, and reproductive rights are at risk. We need unified movements to create the changes we鈥檒l need.
The next four years will be tough, but we鈥檒l get through it if we鈥檙e united, organized and informed. We need to bring on board people with a true understanding of the great harm being done.
La Ciudad: Amid the policies and rhetoric we鈥檙e hearing, which seem to criminalize immigration, what do you think will be the true impact of these measures on our community鈥檚 future?
Vizguerra: People need to understand, and I鈥檝e told my own children before, that if you look at Trump鈥檚 followers, most of whom are white, they are driven by fear 鈥� fear of becoming a minority while communities of color grow. But they must understand that the original invaders of this country were Europeans. Many of us have deep roots here in the Americas.
The rhetoric of this president empowers those harboring hidden hatred, and they now feel emboldened to act as they please. But it鈥檚 our moral duty to protect the vulnerable, those who don鈥檛 understand the system and need a protective policy.
Organizations like the ACLU, and many others, will work to protect our community and ensure human rights aren鈥檛 violated 鈥� not just for one community, but for all.
La Ciudad: How do you think fear and uncertainty are affecting not only adults, but also the youth and children, who are the future of our community?
Vizguerra: Look, like I mentioned, I鈥檝e had so many people reach out this week, and one person said something that really impacted me: 鈥淢y child is full of panic and fear. He isn鈥檛 sleeping well. He says he鈥檚 very afraid that they鈥檙e going to detain us and deport us. I don鈥檛 know how to calm him down.鈥�
So, I want to say this to those of us who are parents with young children. Mine aren鈥檛 that young anymore, but they went through 15 years of constant struggle alongside me.
Also, as a psychologist, I want to say that we must always speak to our children about reality, clearly, in a way they can understand. We need to make plans with them, even. In fact, my kids created a message for a radio station in Minnesota called My Wish, which was that children should not be separated from their parents.
When we talk to them from the beginning, explaining possible scenarios 鈥� like I said, that if someone knocks on the door, they shouldn鈥檛 open it, because it鈥檚 probably ICE. We know our rights, so let鈥檚 use them. It鈥檚 about talking to them with clarity.
There are young people with DACA who don鈥檛 fully understand the process, which is why we need to hold 鈥淜now Your Rights鈥� workshops. When they wanted to take away DACA 鈥� when Jeff Sessions was trying to get rid of it, my daughter, who had DACA, called me while I was protesting in Washington.
鈥淢om, did you hear that they鈥檙e going to take away DACA?鈥� I told her, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry. If I鈥檝e fought for myself, I鈥檒l fight twice as hard for you. The reason you shouldn鈥檛 be afraid is this: You have DACA, you have a clean record, which is why they gave it to you and others who may even own businesses or homes. So, if they try to deport you, it鈥檒l be easier to fight because you don鈥檛 have a criminal record, and you鈥檒l have the right to do so.
When we educate people, they don鈥檛 fall into a panic. They know, 鈥淥K, if I lose DACA, I鈥檒l be able to start a deportation case and probably win it because I don鈥檛 have a criminal record.鈥�
We need to tell things as they are, and educate even our youngest children. I鈥檝e always said that children are harmed more when they鈥檙e unprepared and ICE suddenly knocks hard on the door in the early morning. The children, not knowing better, open the door and witness the arrest of their parents. Because by opening the door, you give them authority to enter your home. But if they already know what to do, you can tell them, 鈥淚f you see me getting arrested, don鈥檛 be scared. I will return home.鈥� That鈥檚 what I told my kids. And thank God, they鈥檙e OK and know what to do.
We鈥檙e now talking about family plans, what we need to do. I鈥檝e even told them that if it happens to me, I will keep working bi-nationally because the fight doesn鈥檛 end just because I鈥檓 sent back to my country. From there, I鈥檒l keep fighting, and one day, I鈥檒l be here again.
I thank the media for caring about these interviews because they allow us to reach people, so they know what to do and where to go. There are immigrant organizations in Colorado and around the country already working on defense plans.
We鈥檝e done this for a reason. Colorado is now a progressive state, and it鈥檚 up to us, not just organizations but regular people, to speak with our governor, mayors and federal representatives. Ask them, 鈥淲hat will your role be in defending our community in this state?鈥� When we reinforce our state laws, it鈥檚 often difficult for federal laws to hurt us.
What could happen now is that the way to attack sanctuary or welcoming states would be by trying to take away funding for state police. They tried this in the past, and we managed to prevent local police from cooperating with immigration authorities. So, we鈥檙e going to keep resisting.
La Ciudad: Some people say undocumented immigrants are here to take advantage of the system. As someone who has lived this experience up close and fights every day for this community鈥檚 rights, what would you say to those who believe this?
Vizguerra: They鈥檙e ignorant, to be honest. I鈥檝e been here since 1997, and from the moment I arrived, I worked hard, tirelessly, without asking anything from the government. I started my own business, and I鈥檝e paid taxes for these 27 years 鈥� which is more than President Trump can say about himself.
I don鈥檛 live off the system. We鈥檝e raised our children, who are not 鈥渁nchor babies,鈥� as they say. As immigrants, just because we emigrate doesn鈥檛 mean we don鈥檛 have a life plan, including how many kids we want. Let me tell you, for example, I work in a self-service store, and most of the people I see using food stamps 鈥� SNAP 鈥� are white.
Some families have four or five kids, and they actually rely on the government to support them because, as U.S. citizens, they have all the benefits and often don鈥檛 work.
We immigrants, especially the older generation, don鈥檛 ask for help. We鈥檙e used to working hard for what we need and want. If we want to start a business, we work hard to do it. If we want to buy a house, we work hard to achieve that. And many times, this is what bothers the American community because they can鈥檛 always have the things they want without putting in the effort.
So, I ask, now that they鈥檙e talking about mass deportations, who will pick the vegetables and fruits for their tables? You don鈥檛 see Americans in the fields. They own the farms, but you don鈥檛 see them working there. In construction, cleaning and other industries, it鈥檚 our people doing the hard work.
In my own moving and cleaning business, I hired Americans, promoting equality and non-discrimination. I had people work for me who鈥檇 only last a day or two, saying the work was too hard. But our Mexican community stayed and did it.
Mexicans are known globally as the hardest-working people. I don鈥檛 ask for food stamps, I don鈥檛 rely on government benefits, and I鈥檝e raised my kids and paid taxes for nearly 28 years. So, it鈥檚 false. We don鈥檛 have a culture of dependency.
So, it鈥檚 a lie. We don鈥檛 have that culture of being supported.
There鈥檚 still much to say and much to do. I want to tell the community not to give up. Don鈥檛 bow to hatred. We鈥檙e stronger than that. We are resilient, just as we were when we decided to come here.
La Ciudad: How can we foster a stronger collective consciousness to vote for those who genuinely support the rights of our people?
Vizguerra: Let me be clear and honest: I鈥檓 not partisan. I鈥檓 neither Republican nor Democrat. I鈥檓 not partisan in Mexico, either. I鈥檒l support any candidate who will do the right thing for our communities.
I believe people are tired of broken promises, which led some to think they鈥檇 鈥渢each a lesson鈥� by voting against one party, even though they鈥檒l face the consequences of that decision.
I don鈥檛 judge them because we all say and do things when we鈥檙e angry. I was disappointed to see so many Latinos forget how they or their families got here. Even if they didn鈥檛 struggle, their parents or ancestors did. I remember my grandparents were part of the Bracero Program. I hadn鈥檛 even thought of coming here at the time, but I listened to their stories of resilience.
That鈥檚 fine, though. Everyone will see the consequences of their actions. Every decision has consequences. They may regret it and decide to join the fight, or maybe not. That鈥檚 fine too.
It鈥檚 four years. Every beginning has an end. They鈥檒l be difficult years, but not eternal. If they wanted to teach a lesson, all of us 鈥� residents, citizens and immigrants 鈥� will learn from this.
I鈥檝e been through several administrations: Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, and now Trump again. Governments are changing, and what鈥檚 being lost is the idea that the U.S. government is different from those in our home countries. But now, it鈥檚 showing that it鈥檚 not.
I鈥檝e been fighting a deportation case for 15 years over expired plates, criminalized by these immigration laws, while Trump, with all his felonies, isn鈥檛 in jail. The inequality is clear. Why? Because he has money, because he鈥檚 part of the government?
There shouldn鈥檛 be privileges for anyone. If laws are truly enforced, they must be applied equally. This is why people like me, who are rebels, begin to rise up, push back, mobilize, and fight for our rights.
La Ciudad: What community organization and social justice platforms can you recommend where people can feel supported?
Vizguerra: I have my own autonomous organizations. You鈥檒l find them on Facebook: Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition, Sanctuary for All, and Abolish ICE Denver. Other organizations I recommend are American Friends for Coloradans.
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition has had issues but seems to be restructuring. There are other organizations out there, some new, thanks to immigration being profitable for certain groups. I hope they use grants to defend our people.
On my platform, Jeanette Vizguerra, I鈥檒l post info on organizations where people can find resources. We once had an emergency line, and an undocumented committee 鈥� which no longer exists, but we can restart it ourselves.
Something important to remember is: 鈥淭he people save the people.鈥� We must defend ourselves and not rely solely on organizations.
My phone is always open 24/7, as is my Facebook. People contact me there. It鈥檚 how they reach me. We鈥檙e the ones who have to organize and defend ourselves. In the past, when we fought for licenses, some organizations turned their backs on us. We decided to keep going, and we won.
I hope all these movements join forces because, in the end, immigration issues connect with everything else.