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Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Family, supporters urge release of Spanish-language journalist in ICE custody
ATLANTA — A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest just outside Atlanta last month and is being held in a federal immigration jail felt a duty to help those whose voices often go unheard, his children said Tuesday. Police in DeKalb County arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a few days later . An immigration judge set a $7,500 bond for him earlier this month, but that ruling has been put on hold while the government appeals it. For now, Guevara is being held in an immigration detention center in Folkston, in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border and a five-hour drive from his family in suburban Atlanta. Katherine Guevara, 27, said that for more than 20 years she has watched her father's 'unwavering dedication and selfless commitment to serving the Hispanic community.' 'He chased stories that mattered, stories that told the truth about immigration, injustice, about people who usually go ignored,' she said during a news conference at the Georgia state Capitol. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a big audience as a journalist in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News a year ago. He was livestreaming video on social media from a 'No Kings' rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him in DeKalb County. Guevara frequently arrives on the scene where ICE or other law enforcement agencies are active, often after getting tips from community members. He regularly livestreams what he's seeing on social media. 'Growing up, I didn't always understand why my dad was so obsessed with his work, why he'd jump up and leave dinner to chase down a story. But now I do,' said Oscar Guevara, 21, who now works as a photojournalist for MG News. Guevara's children were joined at the news conference by members of civil rights and press freedom groups, as well as state lawmakers. 'Mario Guevara is journalist and so his detention raises even bigger questions, about civil rights, constitutional rights, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press,' state Sen. Josh McLaurin said. Giovanni Diaz, one of Guevara's lawyers, said he and the family have been speaking to Guevara regularly. He said Guevara is doing well but has 'been shaken to his core' because he believes he's being unfairly punished by a country he loves so much. 'He is still smiling. He's in good spirits. And he's in it for the fight, and so are we,' Diaz said. Guevara is 'essentially in isolation,' Diaz said, adding that ICE has said that it's for his own safety since he's a public figure and his reporting style was sometimes controversial. But being kept alone, 'that wears on you,' Diaz said. An immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. The lawyer said he's optimistic that the Board of Immigration Appeals will decide in Guevara's favor and he will be able to post bond, allowing him to be free while he fights the government's efforts to deport him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application. Video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. Police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed the charges, saying that video showed that Guevara was 'generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives.' The sheriff's office in neighboring Gwinnett County announced on June 20, once Guevara was already in ICE custody, that it had secured warrants against him on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving. Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Lisamarie Bristol announced July 10 that she would not pursue those charges.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Family, supporters urge release of Spanish-language journalist in ICE custody
A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest just outside Atlanta last month and is being held in a federal immigration jail felt a duty to help those whose voices often go unheard, his children said Tuesday. Police in DeKalb County arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a few days later. An immigration judge set a $7,500 bond for him earlier this month, but that ruling has been put on hold while the government appeals it. For now, Guevara is being held in an immigration detention center in Folkston, in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border and a five-hour drive from his family in suburban Atlanta. Katherine Guevara, 27, said that for more than 20 years she has watched her father's 'unwavering dedication and selfless commitment to serving the Hispanic community.' 'He chased stories that mattered, stories that told the truth about immigration, injustice, about people who usually go ignored,' she said during a news conference at the Georgia state Capitol. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a big audience as a journalist in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News a year ago. He was livestreaming video on social media from a 'No Kings' rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him in DeKalb County. Guevara frequently arrives on the scene where ICE or other law enforcement agencies are active, often after getting tips from community members. He regularly livestreams what he's seeing on social media. 'Growing up, I didn't always understand why my dad was so obsessed with his work, why he'd jump up and leave dinner to chase down a story. But now I do,' said Oscar Guevara, 21, who now works as a photojournalist for MG News. Guevara's children were joined at the news conference by members of civil rights and press freedom groups, as well as state lawmakers. 'Mario Guevara is journalist and so his detention raises even bigger questions, about civil rights, constitutional rights, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press,' state Sen. Josh McLaurin said. Giovanni Diaz, one of Guevara's lawyers, said he and the family have been speaking to Guevara regularly. He said Guevara is doing well but has 'been shaken to his core' because he believes he's being unfairly punished by a country he loves so much. 'He is still smiling. He's in good spirits. And he's in it for the fight, and so are we,' Diaz said. Guevara is 'essentially in isolation," Diaz said, adding that ICE has said that it's for his own safety since he's a public figure and his reporting style was sometimes controversial. But being kept alone, 'that wears on you,' Diaz said. An immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. The lawyer said he's optimistic that the Board of Immigration Appeals will decide in Guevara's favor and he will be able to post bond, allowing him to be free while he fights the government's efforts to deport him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application. Video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. Police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed the charges, saying that video showed that Guevara was 'generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives.' The sheriff's office in neighboring Gwinnett County announced on June 20, once Guevara was already in ICE custody, that it had secured warrants against him on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving. Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Lisamarie Bristol announced July 10 that she would not pursue those charges.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Family, supporters urge release of Spanish-language journalist in ICE custody
ATLANTA (AP) — A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest just outside Atlanta last month and is being held in a federal immigration jail felt a duty to help those whose voices often go unheard, his children said Tuesday. Police in DeKalb County arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a few days later. An immigration judge set a $7,500 bond for him earlier this month, but that ruling has been put on hold while the government appeals it. For now, Guevara is being held in an immigration detention center in Folkston, in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border and a five-hour drive from his family in suburban Atlanta. Katherine Guevara, 27, said that for more than 20 years she has watched her father's 'unwavering dedication and selfless commitment to serving the Hispanic community.' 'He chased stories that mattered, stories that told the truth about immigration, injustice, about people who usually go ignored,' she said during a news conference at the Georgia state Capitol. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a big audience as a journalist in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News a year ago. He was livestreaming video on social media from a 'No Kings' rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him in DeKalb County. Guevara frequently arrives on the scene where ICE or other law enforcement agencies are active, often after getting tips from community members. He regularly livestreams what he's seeing on social media. 'Growing up, I didn't always understand why my dad was so obsessed with his work, why he'd jump up and leave dinner to chase down a story. But now I do,' said Oscar Guevara, 21, who now works as a photojournalist for MG News. Guevara's children were joined at the news conference by members of civil rights and press freedom groups, as well as state lawmakers. 'Mario Guevara is journalist and so his detention raises even bigger questions, about civil rights, constitutional rights, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press,' state Sen. Josh McLaurin said. Giovanni Diaz, one of Guevara's lawyers, said he and the family have been speaking to Guevara regularly. He said Guevara is doing well but has 'been shaken to his core' because he believes he's being unfairly punished by a country he loves so much. 'He is still smiling. He's in good spirits. And he's in it for the fight, and so are we,' Diaz said. Guevara is 'essentially in isolation,' Diaz said, adding that ICE has said that it's for his own safety since he's a public figure and his reporting style was sometimes controversial. But being kept alone, 'that wears on you,' Diaz said. An immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. The lawyer said he's optimistic that the Board of Immigration Appeals will decide in Guevara's favor and he will be able to post bond, allowing him to be free while he fights the government's efforts to deport him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application. Video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. Police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed the charges, saying that video showed that Guevara was 'generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives.' The sheriff's office in neighboring Gwinnett County announced on June 20, once Guevara was already in ICE custody, that it had secured warrants against him on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving. Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Lisamarie Bristol announced July 10 that she would not pursue those charges.
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Spanish-language journalist still in Ice custody despite being granted bond
A week after an immigration judge granted him bond, a Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest last month remains in federal custody. Police just outside Atlanta arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on 14 June, and he was turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston – in south-east Georgia, near the Florida border – when an immigration judge last week granted him bond. But when his family tried to pay the $7,500 bond last week, Ice didn't accept it and he has since been shuffled between three other jails, his lawyer, Giovanni Diaz, said. 'We are of the opinion that there seems to be a concerted effort between different jurisdictions to keep him detained,' Diaz said. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a loyal audience as a journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News. He was livestreaming video on social media from a DeKalb county rally protesting Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application sponsored by his adult US citizen son, the lawyer said. After immigration judge James Ward granted him bond, Guevara's family tried several times to pay it online but it wouldn't go through, Diaz said. They then went to pay it in person and Ice refused to accept it, he said. 'What we didn't know was what was going on in the background,' Diaz said, explaining that they have since learned that Ice was challenging his release to the Board of Immigration Appeals and asked to put the bond order on hold while that is pending. Another of Guevara's attorneys was then told that he was being transferred to Gwinnett county, in suburban Atlanta, because there were open warrants for his arrest on traffic charges there. He was taken to the Gwinnett jail last Thursday and was released the same day on bond in that case. Because his immigration bond had not been paid, he was taken back into Ice custody at that point, Diaz said. He was taken to Floyd county, about 65 miles (105km) north-west of Atlanta, where the county sheriff's office has an agreement to detain people for Ice. Floyd county jail records showed that he was in custody there until Monday. Diaz said Guevara was then moved to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Atlanta, where he remained on Tuesday. The immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist was not a danger to the community, but Ice was arguing he was such a threat that he should not be released, Diaz said. 'We think it's overkill,' the lawyer said. And in what Diaz characterized as a concerning development, Guevara was told while in custody in Gwinnett county that his phone was confiscated under a search warrant. The video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'Press' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer: 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. DeKalb police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but Ice had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb county's solicitor general, Donna Coleman-Stribling, on 25 June dismissed those charges, saying that while probable cause existed to support the arrest, there wasn't enough evidence to support a prosecution. 'At the time of his arrest, the video evidence shows Mr Guevara generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives,' her office said in a news release. Guevara's arrest immediately drew widespread attention and was criticized by press freedom groups, which said he was simply doing his job. On 20 June, the Gwinnett sheriff's office said it had secured warrants for Guevara's arrest on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, saying that he had 'compromised operational integrity and jeopardized the safety' of victims of a law enforcement case. An initial incident report says the charges stem from a 20 May incident, which it says was reported on 17 June – three days after his arrest at the protest. The narrative section of the report gives no details. Diaz said people charged with traffic violations are usually charged on the spot, and it is very unusual for an officer to swear out a warrant for arrest on such a violation a month later. 'None of this is normal,' Diaz said.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Journalist arrested by ICE remains in custody despite being granted bond by judge
A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains in federal custody despite a judge granting him a bond last week. Mario Guevara was arrested just outside Atlanta while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to ICE several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston — in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border — when an immigration judge last week granted him bond. But when his family tried to pay the $7,500 bond last week, ICE didn't accept it and he has since been shuffled between three other jails, his lawyer Giovanni Diaz said. 'We are of the opinion that there seems to be a concerted effort between different jurisdictions to keep him detained,' Diaz said. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a loyal audience as a journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News. He was livestreaming video on social media from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application sponsored by his adult U.S. citizen son, the lawyer said. After Immigration Judge James Ward granted him bond, Guevara's family tried several times to pay it online but it wouldn't go through, Diaz said. They then went to pay it in person and ICE refused to accept it, he said. 'What we didn't know was what was going on in the background,' Diaz said, explaining that they have since learned that ICE was challenging his release to the Board of Immigration Appeals and asked to put the bond order on hold while that's pending. Another of Guevara's attorneys was then told that he was being transferred to Gwinnett County, in suburban Atlanta, because there were open warrants for his arrest on traffic charges there. He was taken to the Gwinnett jail last Thursday and was released the same day on bond in that case. Because his immigration bond had not been paid, he was taken back into ICE custody at that point, Diaz said. He was taken to Floyd County, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, where the county sheriff's office has an agreement to detain people for ICE. Floyd County Jail records showed that he was in custody there until Monday. Diaz said Guevara was then moved to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Atlanta, where he remained on Tuesday. The immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. 'We think it's overkill,' the lawyer said. And in what Diaz characterized as a concerning development, Guevara was told while in custody in Gwinnett County that his phone was confiscated under a search warrant. The video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. DeKalb police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed those charges, saying that while probable cause existed to support the arrest, there wasn't enough evidence to support a prosecution. 'At the time of his arrest, the video evidence shows Mr. Guevara generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives,' her office said in a news release. Guevara's arrest immediately drew widespread attention and was criticized by press freedom groups, which said he was simply doing his job. On June 20, the Gwinnett sheriff's office said it had secured warrants for Guevara's arrest on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, saying that, he had 'compromised operational integrity and jeopardized the safety' of victims of a law enforcement case, investigators an Gwinnett residents. An initial incident report says the charges stem from a May 20 incident, which it says was reported June 17 — three days after his arrest at the protest. The narrative section of the report gives no details. Diaz said people charged with traffic violations are usually charged on the spot, and it is very unusual for an officer to swear out a warrant for arrest on such a violation a month later. "None of this is normal," Diaz said.
