Atlanta Journalist’s ICE Detention Sparks National Outcry

Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran-born journalist renowned for his immigration reporting in Atlanta, was arrested on June 14 while covering an anti-Trump protest, despite having lived legally in the U.S. for over 20 years and holding work authorization. All criminal charges against him were dropped due to lack of evidence, but he has remained in ICE custody for more than a month, with ICE seeking his deportation on claims of unlawful presence. An immigration judge granted Guevara a $7,500 bond, but ICE filed an appeal and placed a stay on the bond, extending his detention. Advocates, attorneys, and press freedom groups have condemned his continued detention as retaliation for his reporting and a threat to press freedom. Rallies and press conferences have intensified calls for his immediate release. The case has drawn national attention and sparked broader debate over civil and constitutional rights for journalists in the U.S.