Mario Guevara, a well-known Spanish-language journalist in metro Atlanta, is facing transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being arrested while covering a protest on Saturday.
Guevara, 47, originally from El Salvador, has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. He was livestreaming the “No Kings” protest in the Embry Hills area of DeKalb County when police arrested him. The protest, which drew a large Latino turnout, ended in tear gas and mass arrests after authorities declared an unlawful assembly.
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In the livestream viewed by over 1 million people on Facebook, Guevara is seen stepping off the sidewalk as officers approach. He backs into the street and is immediately taken into custody. While detained in a van, Guevara, speaking in Spanish, urged viewers to alert his attorney:
“Please, someone let lawyer Giovanni Díaz know what just happened,” he said.
He was charged with three misdemeanors: pedestrian improperly entering a roadway, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and unlawful assembly. Although a judge released him Monday on recognizance, jail officials confirmed he would be handed over to ICE instead of being freed.
Guevara’s legal team at Díaz & Gaeta Law declined to comment. Requests for more information from the Doraville Police Department also went unanswered.
The protest he covered was led by the Party of Socialism and Liberation, and police claimed it became unlawful after marchers allegedly moved toward an I-285 highway on-ramp. A previous protest in nearby Tucker, promoted by Indivisible and 50501, occurred without incident or police escalation.
Eight people were arrested in Embry Hills, including Guevara. DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry has called for an investigation into the police’s decision to use tear gas in a residential area, questioning its proportionality.
ICE has not confirmed the conditions of Guevara’s hold or whether deportation proceedings will follow.
Guevara fled El Salvador in 2004 while working for Diario CoLatino, escaping threats from leftist paramilitary groups. His journey through the U.S. asylum system was slow and difficult—he once recounted to La Opinión the trauma of watching his wife arrested due to an immigration system error, unable to comfort their children.
Since then, Guevara has become a respected voice in the Atlanta area, working for Atlanta Latino, Mundo Hispanico, and most recently founding MGNews in 2024. His work—especially focused on immigration enforcement—has earned awards, including an Emmy. He’s exposed corruption, including misconduct at the Honduran consulate in Georgia, and reported extensively on ICE raids in Latino communities.
At the time of his arrest, Guevara’s livestream was outperforming major networks like CNN and Fox News.
Guevara’s case echoes broader concerns about press freedom. Critics argue that powerful figures, including Donald Trump and other global leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, are undermining the independent press—either by exclusion, censorship, or legal pressure.
While The Guardian remains protected by an independent trust and free from billionaire ownership or shareholder pressure, sustaining free journalism demands global vigilance. In a climate where journalists face arrest or retaliation for their work, the fight for press freedom is more crucial than ever.
