Mario Guevara (journalist)

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Mario Guevara
CitizenshipEl Salvador
Occupationjournalist
EmployerMundo Hispánico (until 2024)
OrganizationMG News
Children2 [1]
Website https://noticiasmg.com/

Mario Guevara is a Salvadoran journalist and asylum seeker who was deported from the United States in October 2025. [2]

Biography

Guevara worked in El Salvador until fleeing the country with his family in 2004 due to political persecution. He then became a resident in the United States, where he mostly reported on the topic of immigration in Atlanta. [3] [4] He won and was nominated to multiple awards at the Southeast Emmy Awards. [5] [6] [7] [8] Guevara was ordered removed from the United States by an immigration judge in 2012. [9] [10] He worked for Mundo Hispánico until founding MG News in 2024. [1]

In the past, Guevara had spoken favorably of Republican candidates and policies. In 2022, he said that then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp's victory over Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams would prevent what he described as the Democratic Party's plan of "eradicating" the police in the state of Georgia, even though Abrams had in reality intended to increase police funding. [11] Guevara endorsed Republican insurance commissioner candidate John King, saying that "a lot of our Latino people are conservative" and wishing him four more years in office. In a Facebook live, Guevara said that "a lot of people talk about Republicans being racist... But frankly Georgia Republicans now aren’t the same" as before. [11]

After working as a reporter in Atlanta for about 18 years, Guevara was arrested by Doraville police during his coverage of a No Kings protest in June 2025. [11] [12] His charges were dropped and he was taken into ICE custody in order to undergo deportation proceedings. The case was appealed and subsequently closed, with him being allowed to remain in the country. Guevara eventually obtained a work visa and had a pending green card application as of September 2025. [13] [14]

Guevara's case garnered a large number of followers on social media due to his coverage of immigration raids. [8] He remained in detention for over two months. [12] [7] [4] The ACLU described his detention and prosecution as political censorship. [7] [15] His detention was opposed by the University of Georgia's First Amendment Clinic, [16] the Society of Professional Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists [17] and other journalistic freedom organizations. [7]

Guevara was deported to El Salvador in October 2025. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Family fights for release of Spanish-language journalist in ICE custody". wrdw. July 22, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Xu, Meimei (October 2, 2025). "Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara deported Friday". WABE. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  3. Mochkofsky, Graciela (June 28, 2025). "ICE Detains a Respected Immigrant Journalist". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Journalist detained by ICE sues Noem, Bondi for his release". POLITICO. August 21, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  5. Shah, Khushbu (October 5, 2018). "Living in fear 'every single day' as immigration raids wreak havoc". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  6. Chidi, George (July 10, 2025). "Charges dropped against Atlanta journalist detained by Ice". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, Sam (August 21, 2025). "ICE relied on sheriff's office to fight releasing Spanish-language reporter in Georgia, records show • Georgia Recorder". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Spanish-language journalist who documents immigration raids detained for ICE after protest arrest". CityNews Halifax. June 17, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  9. "Immigration reporter ordered to leave U.S. - UPI.com". United Press International . 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  10. "Immigration reporter mulls fate after denial of asylum request". CNN. July 7, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Grinspan, Lautaro. "Atlanta Spanish-language journalist's pro-GOP remarks raise bias concerns". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN   1539-7459 . Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Dukes, Deidra (August 27, 2025). "Judge hears arguments to release Mario Guevara from ICE custody". FOX 5 Atlanta. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  13. "Son of journalist detained by ICE pleads for dad's release". NBC News. September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  14. Chidi, George (September 19, 2025). "US appeals court orders deportation of Atlanta journalist detained by Ice". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  15. DiRienzo, Rob (June 17, 2025). "Hispanic journalist arrested during metro Atlanta protests in ICE custody". FOX 5 Atlanta. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  16. Lupiani, Joyce (August 26, 2025). "Mario Guevara: Judge to hear case of Atlanta journalist held by ICE". FOX 5 Atlanta. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  17. "SPJ joins CPJ, Free Press urging ICE to release journalist Mario Guevara after two-month detention". Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved August 31, 2025.