Jeanette Vizguerra, a Colorado immigration activist whose fight to stay in this country has drawn national attention, is once again taking sanctuary in a Denver church after suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to stave off deportation.

As her nearly two-year stay of deportation expired Friday, Vizguerra, 47, and her lawyers announced from inside the First Unitarian Society of Denver church that she will again be confined to living inside a house of faith to avoid being sent back to Mexico.

In 2017, Vizguerra spent 86 days living inside the same church before being granted the stay of deportation.

“I’m tired of hearing from people that I should go back and take my children back to Mexico,” Vizguerra said. “My roots are on this continent. If you think I should go back, you should pack up and go back to yours. … We pay taxes. We work hard. … I’m a mother just like any other mother who will do what is best for her children every time.”

Vizguerra speaking. Her young daughter looks on above her as her mother breaks down. pic.twitter.com/V9o09IyZRZ — Elizabeth Hernandez (@ehernandez) March 15, 2019

Vizguerra’s attorneys on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver alleging ICE “carried out a years-long campaign” against the activist in the interest of deporting her to Mexico without “valid justification” for doing so and failure to follow due process of the law.

“This case challenges an executive agency’s unlawful, arbitrary actions against a woman who has fought for decades for her children, her community and the rights of all Americans, no matter their citizenship status,” attorneys Aaron Elinoff and Danielle C. Jefferis wrote in their lawsuit on behalf of Vizguerra.

“The U.S. Constitution guarantees Ms. Vizguerra’s right to due process, and to that end, the law allows for a process by which Ms. Vizguerra may present a case to justify her right to remain in the United States. Defendant ICE has not permitted Ms. Vizguerra to do so. But Defendant ICE is not above the law; the agency must be ordered to stop its baseless campaign against Ms. Vizguerra.”

In an emailed statement, ICE central region spokesman Carl Rusnok said that as a matter of policy, the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

“However, lack of comment should not be construed as agreement with or stipulation to any of the allegations,” Rusnok said. “As part of the Department of Homeland Security’s homeland security mission, our trained law enforcement professionals adhere to the department’s mission and values, and uphold our laws while continuing to provide the nation with safety and security.”

During Friday’s news conference, Vizguerra’s attorney Bryce Downer said there is a strong case that ICE is illegally trying to deport Vizguerra.

“Jeanette does not have a removal order, and they are acting as if she did,” Downer said.

Vizguerra choked back sobs as she spoke about the fear of having to leave her children and grandchildren. Her young daughter — seated on the shoulder of one of several supporters standing behind Vizguerra holding protest signs — looked down at Vizguerra and eventually climbed down to wrap her arms around her crying mother.

Vizguerra, who has lived illegally in the United States for more than two decades, faces deportation and separation from her four children and three grandchildren. She was granted a stay of deportation in May 2017 after taking sanctuary at Denver’s First Unitarian Society of Denver and First Baptist Church.

The activist’s public fight to stay in the U.S. earned her support from several Colorado politicians including U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette and Gov. Jared Polis, who was a congressman at the time.

Vizguerra applied for a U visa for victims of certain crimes about six years ago, but the application remains pending “due to significant backlogs in the processing of U visa applications,” according to a news release about her situation.

Vizguerra was one of the first undocumented people to take sanctuary under the Trump administration, according to a news release. The activist was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2017 as her story gained nationwide attention.

According to her lawsuit, Vizguerra and her family fled abuse and violence in Mexico in 1997 and settled in Denver, where the activist began work as a janitor and later an organizer with the Service Employees International Union, fighting for workers’ rights.

Jeanette: “I am ready to be here as long as it takes. I want this government to understand that I will never give up.” pic.twitter.com/9mTIwGohSO — Elizabeth Hernandez (@ehernandez) March 15, 2019

Vizguerra’s arrest and removal proceedings were born out of a 2009 traffic stop. She was pulled over for driving with an expired inspection sticker, the lawsuit says. When the police officer asked whether Vizguerra was in the U.S. legally, she refused to answer and was arrested, according to the lawsuit.

During a search of Vizguerra’s bag, police found documents containing a false Social Security number linked to Vizguerra that the lawsuit said was needed so she could apply for a third job.

“She thought the Social Security number was fake,” the lawyers wrote in the lawsuit. “She did not know it actually belonged to a real person. … Ms.Vizguerra never intended to defraud anyone or cause any person harm. She simply wanted to work hard and put food on the table for her children.”

Vizguerra was charged with misdemeanor identity theft and criminal possession of a forged instrument. She pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count, served 21 days in jail and was placed in removal proceedings upon her release.

Mike Morran, senior minister at First Unitarian Society of Denver, said during Friday’s news conference that the church would be there for Vizguerra as “senseless forces” sought to separate “a loving family.”

Vizguerra will be living in a room downstairs in the church. Morran said Vizguerra’s family, the community and the church all make sure Vizguerra is fed. The last time the church housed Vizguerra, Morran described facing “security issues” at the building including bomb threats. The minister said the Denver Police Department was responsive and handled the situations well.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, but I won’t give up,” Vizguerra said. “I don’t know how many months, but I am ready. I will keep fighting. I won’t give up.”