Journalist Mario Guevara Deported After Arrest During Protest
Journalist Mario Guevara, a prominent Spanish-language reporter, has been deported to El Salvador after being detained for over 100 days following his arrest during a protest in June. Guevara was taken into custody while livestreaming a demonstration in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Guevara's attorney, Giovanni Diaz, argued that his client was targeted for his work as a reporter and should have been allowed to pursue a green card. An immigration judge granted bond to Guevara in July, but ICE appealed the decision, keeping him detained. Despite an emergency stay of removal being denied by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Guevara's deportation went forward. This is the first documented U.S. deportation tied to alleged retaliation for reporting, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Guevara was arrested during a protest in June and charged with misdemeanors, including obstruction and unlawful assembly, which were later dismissed. Diaz expressed concern about the use of immigration courts as part of the deportation process. Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean Program Coordinator at CPJ, condemned Guevara's deportation, stating it's a 'troubling sign of the deteriorating freedom of the press under the Trump administration'.
Mario Guevara, a journalist who was arrested and detained while reporting on a protest, has been deported to El Salvador. His deportation raises concerns about the targeting of journalists and the use of immigration courts in deportation processes. The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the action, highlighting the deteriorating press freedom under the current administration.
