Salvadoran Journalist Mario Guevara Faces Imminent US Deportation Amid Rights Appeals

Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran journalist who has been detained by ICE since June after livestreaming a protest against President Trump's administration, now faces imminent deportation to El Salvador despite eligibility for a green card through his U.S. citizen son. The Board of Immigration Appeals reopened Guevara's 13-year-old immigration case and denied his release on bond, rejecting motions to return the case to an immigration judge. Advocates including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the ACLU condemn his prolonged detention and deportation order as retaliation for his journalism and fear it sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom and due process under the Trump administration. Guevara's charges related to the protest were dismissed, yet he remains detained, having been transferred among multiple ICE facilities. Emergency hearings are underway to prevent his deportation, with legal teams arguing he should be released immediately given his clear path to permanent residency and the risks he faces if returned to El Salvador. The case highlights ongoing concerns about government actions targeting journalists and the erosion of protections for critical news coverage.