Local leaders must call out injustice

The recent detention of Jeanette Vizguerra — a mother, grandmother, and community leader who has spoken out for immigrant rights — should alarm leaders across our state, including here in Longmont. As a husband, father, and person of faith who believes that I, too, was once an “immigrant in Egypt,” I feel compelled to speak up.

Jeanette’s arrest was not about immigration enforcement; it was a deliberate attempt to silence a voice for immigrant rights.

She wasn’t taken at a rally or in the commission of a crime. She was taken while on break at her job at Target. She wasn’t a threat to the community. She was a mother, a grandmother and a community leader simply trying to get by, like so many of us.

At this moment, local leaders must remain vigilant, speak up and stand for justice and human rights.

Longmont has long been a place where families from all walks of life can build better futures, but that future is at risk when activists like Jeanette are taken from their communities.

The moment is coming when this issue will land on Longmont’s doorstep, and it’s on us to ensure our community feels safe — safe from politically motivated detention, safe to report crimes and work with law enforcement and safe to speak out for their rights.

Local leaders have a responsibility to call out injustice. We must protect due process, resist unjust enforcement, ensure our neighbors know their rights and stand in solidarity with those fighting for a fairer system.

Longmont’s strength is its diversity, resilience and people. If we allow injustice to go unchallenged, we risk losing what makes this city special. We must be a community where every family, every worker, and every child is safe, supported and treated with dignity.

— Jake Marsing, Longmont