ICE holds US reporter after arrest at protest lawyers allege “retaliation” for journalism

US Journalist Held by ICE After Protest Arrest Sparks Retaliation

A Spanish-language journalist who built his career reporting on immigration in Georgia now sits in federal custody, accused not of crimes but of exercising his constitutional rights. Lawyers for Mario Guevara, 47, argue that the US government is punishing him for his reporting and silencing him in violation of the First Amendment.

Guevara, a veteran reporter who fled violence in El Salvador two decades ago, was arrested by local police in DeKalb County on 14 June while covering a protest against former president Donald Trump’s administration. Video shows him wearing a bright red shirt and a vest marked “PRESS” as he livestreamed events, telling officers, “I’m a member of the media.” Moments later, he was in handcuffs.

The charges—unlawful assembly, obstruction and being a pedestrian on the roadway—fell apart quickly. DeKalb County prosecutors dismissed the case after reviewing footage, noting Guevara had complied with police orders. Additional warrants issued in neighbouring Gwinnett County for alleged driving offences were also dropped. But by then ICE had stepped in, placing a hold and taking him into custody before he could walk free.

Since June, Guevara has been held at an immigration detention centre in Folkston, five hours from his family in suburban Atlanta. A federal petition filed this week accuses the government of unlawful retaliation, arguing that Guevara cannot report while detained and is suffering an unconstitutional prior restraint on his work. His lawyers are asking for his immediate release so he can rejoin his family and resume his journalism.

The filing names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and senior ICE officials. None responded to requests for comment. Guevara’s supporters note that his reporting frequently focuses on immigration enforcement operations, often showing up where ICE agents or police are active, documenting events in real time on social media. His work, they say, has given Atlanta’s Hispanic community a rare view into how law enforcement operates.

Immigration authorities, however, have argued that his livestreams pose a danger by revealing the identities of undercover officers and their vehicles. Guevara’s lawyers counter that filming police in public is constitutionally protected speech and that he has never been convicted of a crime in his 20 years in the United States. A previous immigration case against him was closed more than a decade ago, and he now has a pending visa petition making him eligible for a green card.

In July, an immigration judge set his bond at $7,500, but ICE blocked his release by appealing the order. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Georgia and the University of Georgia’s First Amendment Clinic have joined his legal team, underscoring the case’s importance for press freedom.

Press groups and civic leaders have rallied to Guevara’s defence, describing him as a vital bridge between Atlanta’s Hispanic community, law enforcement and civic institutions. His adult children have spoken publicly, calling on authorities to let their father come home.

For now, Guevara remains locked away, his reporting silenced, his future uncertain. To his lawyers and supporters, his case is not only about one journalist but about the freedom to hold power to account without fear of retribution.