Immigration Reporter Mario Guevara Alleges Retaliatory Detention by ICE

August 21, 2025 – USA – 

Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran-born, Spanish-language journalist based in Georgia, has filed legal action against U.S. authorities, asserting that his ongoing detention by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) amounts to retaliation for his reporting and livestreaming of immigration enforcement activities.

On June 14, while covering a “No Kings” protest near Atlanta and clearly identifying as press, Guevara was arrested by local police. Although criminal charges—including unlawful assembly and obstruction—were swiftly dropped, ICE took him into custody and transferred him to immigration detention. In early July, an immigration judge granted him $7,500 bond, but ICE appealed, halting his release and keeping him confined in solitary confinement at the Folkston ICE Processing Center. His attorneys report he is confined 22 hours a day, experiencing significant physical and psychological distress.

Guevara’s legal team—comprising the ACLU of Georgia, the University of Georgia First Amendment Clinic, and other collaborators—has filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court. They argue his detention violates both the First Amendment, by penalizing him for protected journalistic activities, and the Fifth Amendment, as the detention is punitive and arbitrary without due process.

Public records reveal coordination between ICE and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, which produced narrative reports critical of Guevara’s reporting—particularly his filming of law enforcement—even though prosecutors had already dismissed charges related to his actions. Advocates view this cooperation as part of an effort to keep him detained.

Press freedom supporters—including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)—have condemned Guevara’s continued imprisonment. CPJ stated that his detention not only ends his ability to report but also sends a chilling message to journalists, especially noncitizen media workers.

Guevara has lived in the U.S. since 2004 and remains legally authorized to work. He has three children (two are U.S. citizens, one with serious medical needs) and a pending green card application sponsored by one of them. His family and supporters call for his immediate release so he can return to his critical reporting and caregiving responsibilities.

Reference – 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/ice-detention-atlanta-reporter-mario-guevera

https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-immigration-reporter-lawsuit-mario-guevara-67f997c7

Journalist Detained by ICE for Livestreaming Law Enforcement Activity Files for Immediate Release