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July 09, 2025 – Mexico/USA –
Mario Guevara, a veteran Salvadoran-American journalist and prominent figure in Atlanta’s Spanish-language media, remains in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody despite a federal immigration judge granting him bond. Guevara, who fled El Salvador in 2004 and has lived in the U.S. for two decades, was arrested on June 14 while livestreaming a protest in DeKalb County, Georgia. Though identifying himself as the press, he was charged with minor offenses, including obstruction and unlawful assembly.
Shortly after his arrest, ICE issued a detainer and transferred him to the Folkston ICE Processing Center, even though he has legal work authorization and a pending green card application through his U.S. citizen son. On July 1, an immigration judge granted Guevara a $7,500 bond, noting he posed no threat. Yet ICE refused to process the bond payment, citing a pending appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Despite the local charges being dropped on June 25 due to lack of evidence, Guevara has been moved between multiple facilities and now faces additional charges in Gwinnett County, filed after his ICE detention. His lawyers argue this pattern reflects a coordinated effort across jurisdictions to keep him jailed and suppress his reporting.
Guevara, who has worked for Mundo Hispanico and runs MG News, is known for livestreaming ICE raids and covering immigration enforcement in Latino communities. His arrest and continued detention have sparked national outcry, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other press freedom advocates demanding his release. CPJ warned that ICE’s refusal to comply with a court order sets a dangerous precedent, particularly for immigrant journalists.
His case has become a flashpoint in debates over press freedom, immigration enforcement, and judicial authority. Guevara is currently believed to be the only journalist in the U.S. detained in connection with their reporting. Advocates fear that targeting journalists like Guevara not only endangers press freedom but sends a chilling message to immigrant reporters documenting state power. Despite a judge’s order, Guevara remains behind bars, caught between journalism and a broken immigration system.
Reference –
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/08/journalist-ice-custody-mario-guevara-atlanta
