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Journalist Mario Guevara detained 100 days, deported to El Salvador

Oct 3, 2025·Location: Flores, Guatemala

Country of origin: Guatemala

Journalist Mario Guevara detained 100 days, deported to El Salvador
Photo via Instagram

Mario Guevara, an Emmy-award-winning Salvadoran journalist who lived in Atlanta for nearly 22 years and held a valid work permit, was arrested by ICE on June 14, 2025, while live-streaming a 'No Kings' protest in Doraville. He spent more than three months in immigration detention, much of it in isolation, separated from his wife and children who remained in the US. A Georgia immigration judge ordered his release on bond in July, and the ACLU filed legal challenges on his behalf, but the Bureau of Immigration Appeals closed his case and ordered his removal on September 19. DHS denied targeting him for his journalism, stating he was arrested for obstruction and deported due to a decade-old removal order. He was deported to El Salvador on October 3, 2025, and continued working as a journalist afterward, reporting from Central America and speaking at international press freedom conferences.

Timeline

Oct 3, 2025—Deported to El Salvador after over 100 days in ICE custody
Oct 3, 2025—Resumed journalism work from Central America, invited to press freedom conferences
Sep 19, 2025—Bureau of Immigration Appeals closed his case and ordered removal
Jul 1, 2025—Georgia immigration judge ordered his release on bond
Jun 14, 2025—Arrested by ICE while live-streaming a 'No Kings' protest in Doraville
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