Ever since she entered the country illegally in 1997, Jeanette Vizguerra has waged an ongoing battle with immigration officials. That’s even before the Department of Homeland Security was created by the Bush administration after 9/11. She’s been on the run since President Obama ordered her to be deported in 2009, but has remained elusive, even seeking sanctuary in a Denver church for three years. But now, Vizguerra’s time here could be running short.
This comes at a time when a crackdown on undocumented immigrants has reached new heights under the direction of the Trump administration. This was a campaign promise Trump has vowed to keep and to prove it, he appointed a friend and former law enforcement official Tom Homan to be his new border czar. Homan has said that his initial plan was to first hunt down the worst of the worst, notorious gang members pledging allegiance to Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Tren de Aragua, a particularly ruthless Venezuelan group labeled by the United States as a terrorist organization. Nobody objects to this strategy, but Holman’s harsh rhetoric against the millions of migrants who crossed Joe Biden’s open border has created fear among Latino families from coast to coast. And the ripple effect has even spread to Americans of Hispanic descent, which is a clear case of racial profiling.
To send a message, ICE agents rounded up 238 Venezuelans, allegedly members of Tren de Aragua, and deported them to El Salvador a few weeks ago. All were doomed to be housed at the country’s harsh CECOT prison upon arrival on three planes, but our government has been reluctant to release the names of the individuals on those flights, and the lack of transparency is troubling. The dangerous criminals must go as long as we nail the right people, and thus far the courts have said that only two in that group were wrongly deported. Another issue is the international students who attend universities here on F-1 visas. These young people from all over the world are here for the privilege of studying as guests in our country. They are NOT here to set up tents, take over buildings on campus, and protest policies against a government that welcomes them. According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at least 300 student visas have been revoked this year and for good reason.
“We give out these visas for individuals who want to come here and study, but not to engage in activism and protests against the policies of our country,” noted Rubio. “Those who participate in these activities may have their visas revoked.
“It’s like if I invite someone in my home and they make a mess on my couch,” he continued. “I’m going to throw them out.”
Few if any guest students from our hemisphere have been involved in these organized protests, but feel like they have a target on their backs because of the high volume traffic that cross our southern border each day. Depending on where you live, ICE officials are prohibited from raiding a school campus without a court order. Still, plain-clothes cops in unmarked cars have stepped up patrols in ethnic neighborhoods, traumatizing young children who are afraid to attend classes. Furthermore, if you are an adult male with conspicuous tattoos, be prepared to get stopped on the street and asked to produce valid identification.
Whether your political views are to the extreme right, the hard core progressive left or somewhere in between, most Americans tend to agree that our immigration system is outdated and in need of an overhaul. Biden’s policy of “catch and release” came at an enormous cost to tax payers. Trump, with the help of Mexican troops plus our own military and the Coast Guard, have effectively stopped the bleeding via land and sea. DHS Secretary Kristi Noam has asked the undocumented who are already here to self deport, with the possibility to return at a later date with the proper paperwork. Unfortunately, that’s not an option for asylum seekers from oppressive regimes like Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. And what about the 350,000 Venezuelans given temporary status by Biden to settle in south Florida? After much confusion, they have been instructed to re-register for a year’s extension by September 10th. But many folks are nervous about the new administration’s hardline approach. They have opened shops and restaurants in Trump’s backyard of Doral. A lack of trust looms large in that community.
Meanwhile, Jeanette Vizguerra sits in custody, her case tied up in the lower courts. And just this past week, her lead attorney filed a new motion, stating that her client’s arrest was based on “political retribution” without legal basis. Really? Vizguerra’s deportation papers were finalized 15 years ago.
America is a melting pot of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. Vizguerra is not above the law. She is just very good at working the system.
