Detained journalist stays hopeful amid deportation threat, attorney says
Mario Guevara, an El Salvador native and veteran journalist, is known for being fearless in covering issues that are important to his readers, his attorney said Tuesday.
Why it matters: Guevara's pursuit of documenting the news is what's keeping his spirits up in the face of possible deportation after federal immigration authorities issued a detainer for Guevara, who was arrested Saturday while covering a protest in DeKalb County.
"He is a man of faith. He's a mission-driven person and he feels like what he's doing is a service to his community," said Giovanni Diaz, whose law firm Diaz and Gaeta is representing Guevara. "He's doing great."
The latest: Diaz told Axios that ICE has 48 hours to pick up a person from a local jail once it issues a detainer. Since the hold was placed on Monday, agents are required to act by Wednesday.
"We have to basically react to whatever decision that ICE and DeKalb County ultimately do," Diaz said.
DeKalb jail records show Guevara was charged with pedestrian improperly entering roadway, obstruction and unlawful assembly.
The AJC was first to report on ICE's hold on Guevara.
Axios reached out to ICE for comment, but the agency did not respond.
What they're saying: Diaz told Axios they were in the process of getting Guevara released on bond through DeKalb County Magistrate Court when they learned of the ICE hold.
Diaz also said it was concerning that Guevara was arrested when he was "just merely documenting police action."
In the livestream video posted to the Facebook account he uses to share his reports, Guevara was wearing a helmet and a press vest.
Guevara was heard on the video, which experienced technical difficulties, identifying himself as a member of the press to law enforcement before he was seen on the ground under arrest.
Zoom in: Diaz told Axios that Guevara has authorization to work in the United States and is in the process of obtaining his green card.
Diaz said he feels confident Guevara can continue with his green card application process once he's released from jail.
"But it just does complicate things, and it makes it scary for the family and for him now that he's in this situation," he said.
Catch up quick: Guevara was among eight people arrested during Saturday's protest along Chamblee Tucker Road.
According to a statement issued by DeKalb County government, police responded in riot gear and told demonstrators to stay on the sidewalk when they tried to march toward the interstate.
DeKalb County Police called in additional support from other law enforcement agencies, and when the crowds did not follow their commands, tear gas was deployed on the demonstrators.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Utahns weigh in on Trump's job as president so far
President Donald Trump is nearing the five-month mark of his second term — a term marked so far by a frenetic pace of executive orders and action on issues related to culture as well as immigration and foreign policy. A major focus of the president more recently is pushing his 'big, beautiful bill' over the finish line in the Senate after it passed the House late last month. He also publicly enthusiastically embraced then fell out with his former close friend and adviser Elon Musk, who is opposed to the bill and left his position in the administration recently in a fiery spat. Trump is also trying to decide how much to involve the United States in Israel's effort to try to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities. Trump has insisted that his tariff agenda will work in Americans' favor and celebrated immigration enforcement that has ramped up across the country. Also in recent days, Trump has engaged in a battle with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, after he deployed several thousand National Guard troops to protect federal workers and property in response to ongoing protests of his immigration practices in Los Angeles. The deployment has escalated tensions between political parties, with Republicans largely backing Trump's use of military force and most Democrats criticizing him for overriding state power. Voters have responded to all of these changes and others, riding a bit of a roller coaster since Trump's inauguration in January. In the latest poll from the Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics conducted by HarrisX, Utahns were asked whether they approve or disapprove of Trump's job performance. A reliably red state, Utah voters generally approve of Trump's job performance, while a sizable minority still disapproves of his action. Among those surveyed, a majority, 56%, approve of Trump's job as president, which is up from 54% in an April survey. In the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll, voters were also asked by HarrisX how well they think Trump is handling key issues. Trump still remains popular with Republicans in Utah. Nearly 80% of Utah Republicans approve of the job he's doing as commander in chief, with 47% of them who say they 'strongly approve' of his performance. The president performs best with white Utahns, males and with Utahns who are 35-49, the survey found. Jason Perry, the director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said Utah's Republican base is still 'firmly behind President Trump.' Among the 42% of Utahns who don't approve of Trump's presidency so far, the largest share are Democrats. Among Democratic voters, 84% disapprove of his job performance so far, while 58% of independent voters in Utah also disapprove of Trump's leadership. Perry noted that the share of independent voters in the state who disapprove of Trump's job as president is interesting. 'That is a group that will need to be watched, that is a group that can impact a race,' he told the Deseret News. Utahns largely approve of most of Trump's actions on various issues, but the issue they most supported was the president's immigration-related actions. According to the survey, 61% approve of Trump's handling of immigration, while 35% disapprove. Republicans in the state overwhelmingly support Trump on immigration, while just 21% of Democrats approve. Independents were fairly split down the middle on Trump's immigration policy. Utahns also strongly approved of Trump's efforts to reduce the cost of government, with 59% job approval compared to 34% who don't approve, and of his administration of the government, with 55% approval compared to 40% who don't approve. On foreign affairs, 54% of Utahns said they approve of the job Trump is doing compared to 40% who don't approve. While Trump also campaigned on economic issues, Utahns weren't overwhelming in their support of the president's economic moves. Just over half, 51%, of respondents approve of Trump's work on the economy so far, with 44% disapproving. He received similar levels of support on inflation. The issue of tariffs and international trade, a matter he campaigned on, is the only issue Utahns disapprove of more than approve. The survey found 48% of respondents disapprove of Trump's trade and tariff policy, while just 46% approve. Perry argued that Trump's lower performance on economic issues in the state will need to be watched when its time to head to the polls. 'When you talk to voters, when it comes time to vote, those are the things that are highest on their list,' he said. 'His approval on things like immigration and reducing the cost of government, which is important, but in the end, the economy itself, soon as we start looking to midterm elections and to the next election cycle, that issue is going to come up high again.' The survey was conducted online from May 16-21 among 805 registered voters in Utah by HarrisX. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 percentage points.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Stock Market News Review: SPY, QQQ Sink amid Israel-Iran Escalation, Weak Retail Sales Data
Both the S&P 500 (SPX) and the Nasdaq 100 (NDX) closed in red territory as the Israel-Iran conflict drags into its fifth day. On Tuesday, President Trump convened a National Security Council meeting in order to discuss the turmoil. According to Axios, Trump is ' seriously considering ' launching an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The U.S. has also beefed up its defensive measures by sending planes and aircraft carriers to the Middle East. Confident Investing Starts Here: The SPX and NDX opened the trading session lower after May's retail sales data showed a 0.9% month-over-month (MoM) fall, lower than the estimate for a 0.6% drop. Core retail sales, which exclude volatile items like gas, cars, and building materials, rose by 0.4% MoM, ahead of the estimate for a 0.3% rise. The lower opening comes despite the U.S. and UK finalizing their trade deal reached last month. Under the deal, tariffs on the first 100,000 UK vehicles imported to the U.S. will be set at 10%, down from 27.5%, while the U.S. baseline tariff on imported UK goods will remain in place. In the meantime, both sides will continue to negotiate steel, aluminum, and pharmaceutical tariffs. The market's muted reaction to the signed deal is likely due to the fact that it contained no new material developments compared to the initial deal. Meanwhile, sentiment among single-family homebuilders is on the decline. June's Housing Market Index (HMI) tallied in at 32, the lowest reading since December 2022 and below the estimate for 36. A reading above 50 signals that most surveyed homebuilders feel confident about the current and near-term housing landscape. The main market catalyst in the short-term remains the Israel-Iran conflict. In a Truth Social post, Trump demanded ' UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER ' from Iran and said that the U.S. knows where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is hiding but will refrain from targeting him.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Chicago relaunches 'Know Your Rights' campaign amid increased deportations
1 of 2 | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is warning President Donald Trump to "respect the Constitution" after the president ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to ramp up deportation efforts in Democratic-led sanctuary cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is warning President Donald Trump to "respect the Constitution" after the president ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to ramp up deportation efforts in Democratic-led sanctuary cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles. In response, Johnson and city officials announced Tuesday they will relaunch a "Know Your Rights" ad campaign to educate Chicago residents. "Even if the federal government doesn't know or care about the Constitution, Chicagoans deserve to know their constitutional rights," Johnson told reporters at a City Hall news conference. The ads, which will educate residents about their rights if they are stopped or detained by ICE agents, will be displayed on more than 400 screens across the Chicago Transit Authority system. The ads direct transit riders to the campaign website with a more in-depth resource guide, which is translated in multiple languages. The guide instructs residents how to react if stopped, but warned the information "should not be construed as legal advice." "We can't tell people not to be afraid," said Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago's deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights. "Folks are seeing what is happening here and in other cities. But what we can do is give people information. The best that people can do is be prepared." Earlier this month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles to help protect ICE agents and federal buildings after protests in the downtown area turned violent. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom objected to the president's actions, calling the deployment unjustified. Other sanctuary cities, including Chicago, are now bracing for a similar crackdown. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has joined Johnson in opposing the president's actions, while Trump denounced state leadership. "I look at Chicago. You've got a really bad governor and a bad mayor. But the governor is probably the worst in history," Trump said. Pritzker responded by saying, "I think you can see that this has not gone well for him politically, and he's all about the politics." Acting director of ICE, Tom Homan, told CNN in January that Chicago's efforts to educated undocumented immigrants have made deportation efforts "very difficult." "For instance, Chicago is very well educated," Homan said. "They call it 'know your rights.' I call it how to escape arrest ... how to hide from ICE."
