Concerns Mount for Journalist Facing Imminent Deportation from the U.S.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language journalist detained in Georgia since June, is facing imminent deportation as an appeals panel has reopened an earlier immigration case against him. During a protest covering event June 14, local police arrested Guevara and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Though an immigration judge had granted him bond in July, he remained in custody while the government appealed. All criminal charges filed against Guevara following his arrest have since been dismissed, and his lawyers argue he was authorized to live and work in the U.S. They assert he is being punished for fulfilling his duties as a journalist, particularly filming actions by ICE agents, which they claim violates his constitutional rights. On Friday, the Board of Immigration Appeals rejected the government’s appeal regarding bond and ordered Guevara back to El Salvador. His lawyers are deeply concerned about the implications of this ruling, as they fear post-decision deportation could be executed rapidly. They are requesting an emergency hearing in federal court to secure his release. Guevara, 48, fled El Salvador over two decades ago and has since become a prominent journalist in the Atlanta area through his work with Mundo Hispanico and his own outlet MG News. Known for livestreaming law enforcement interactions, he was detained while documenting a protest where he was clearly marked as press. The escalation in his legal situation raises pressing questions about media rights, immigration policy, and the treatment of individuals documenting public protests. Without a response from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security regarding the next steps about Guevara's case, his future remains uncertain.