Biography
Aguilar was a Catholic laywoman and widow ("viuda") from Nogales, Sonora, who sheltered Central American refugees in her home as part of Father Quiñones's parish network. She was the named lead defendant solely because her surname came first alphabetically in the indictment caption — hence the case name U.S. v. Aguilar. She voluntarily entered the U.S. in February 1985 to face charges. During the trial she became a symbol of lay Catholic devotion to the movement, famously placing a rose in the crown of thorns on a Christ figure outside the courthouse before entering for the verdict.
