In a troubling incident that has sent shockwaves through both the journalistic and immigrant rights communities, Mario Guevara, an Emmy-winning investigative reporter and longtime advocate for Latino immigrants in the U.S., now finds himself at the center of a deportation battle. The Salvadoran-born journalist was arrested in Atlanta in May 2025 while covering a pro-immigrant rights rally—an assignment that would ultimately threaten his freedom and status in the very country he’s reported on for nearly two decades.
Guevara’s case has sparked national debate, not just about immigration enforcement, but about the rights of journalists, asylum seekers, and freedom of the press. His supporters call the arrest a gross overreach—a collision of systemic failures in immigration policy and press protections. Federal officials, meanwhile, argue the case is a matter of longstanding immigration violations, not press suppression.
At 44, Guevara now faces the terrifying prospect of being deported to El Salvador, a country he fled amid civil war and political instability—despite being a fixture in Atlanta’s media landscape and a respected voice for the Hispanic community nationwide.
An Immigrant’s Journey to Journalism
Mario Guevara came to the United States from El Salvador in the early 2000s, escaping violence that claimed the lives of several family members. His early years in America were difficult—he took odd jobs, struggled with housing, and lived in the shadows of undocumented life.
But Guevara was not content to remain silent. With a deep belief in the power of storytelling, he pursued community journalism, eventually joining the staff of Atlanta’s El Nuevo Georgia, a Spanish-language newspaper known for its investigative reporting on immigrant labor conditions, ICE raids, and deportation cases.
Over the years, Guevara built a reputation as a dogged reporter and empathetic storyteller. His work shone a light on exploitation in poultry factories, abuses in immigration detention centers, and the resilience of undocumented families navigating life in Georgia—a state with some of the harshest immigration laws in the country.
In 2021, he won a regional Emmy Award for a documentary-style investigation into immigrant labor trafficking networks operating across the Southeast. His reporting didn’t just inform—it empowered, often becoming a lifeline for immigrants in vulnerable situations.
The Arrest at Liberty Plaza
On May 2, 2025, Guevara was on assignment at Liberty Plaza, across from the Georgia State Capitol, covering a peaceful rally in support of immigrants and DACA recipients. The demonstration drew hundreds of participants, including labor organizers, students, and religious leaders.
According to eyewitnesses, Guevara—wearing press credentials and carrying a camera—was filming interviews when he was approached by plainclothes ICE agents. Within moments, he was placed in handcuffs, escorted to a nearby vehicle, and taken into federal custody.
Footage from bystanders shows Guevara calmly identifying himself as a journalist, repeatedly stating he was there in a professional capacity. His arrest stunned the crowd, many of whom shouted “Let him go!” and “He’s press!”
Later that evening, ICE confirmed Guevara had been arrested on the basis of a final removal order dating back to 2007—one that Guevara had long been fighting through appeals and legal motions.
A Tangle of Legal Complexities
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement emphasizing that Guevara was not targeted for his reporting, but rather for “longstanding immigration violations.” They cited his expired Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the 2007 deportation order as justification for the arrest.
But immigration advocates and press freedom organizations disagree. They argue that enforcement discretion could have—and should have—been used, particularly given Guevara’s public role, years of community service, and the fact that he has no criminal record.
María Elena Álvarez, Guevara’s attorney, issued a statement:
“Mario Guevara is a respected journalist, a father, and a humanitarian. His arrest while reporting is not only chilling—it’s a miscarriage of justice. He deserves protection, not punishment.”
Guevara’s team has filed an emergency stay of removal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to halt deportation while they pursue asylum protections and an adjustment of status through his U.S.-born children.
Journalism Under Threat?
Guevara’s arrest has reignited fears about the criminalization of journalism, particularly among ethnic and immigrant-focused news outlets. Groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and PEN America have demanded his release, warning that the incident sets a dangerous precedent.
Joel Simon, former executive director of CPJ, said:
“We have to be very clear: arresting a reporter while covering a public rally is an attack on press freedom. Whether or not immigration law is involved, the optics and implications are deeply troubling.”
In an op-ed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a group of local journalists and professors wrote:
“Mario’s case reveals the thin line separating legal enforcement from state intimidation—especially when the journalist in question is an immigrant reporting on immigration.”
Guevara has previously reported on ICE workplace raids, detentions, and asylum denials—all stories that may now take on new meaning in light of his personal vulnerability.
Community Support and National Attention
In the days following his arrest, Guevara’s name trended on social media as colleagues, politicians, and immigrant advocates rallied to his defense. A petition demanding his release gathered more than 150,000 signatures in one week. Vigils and protests were held outside Atlanta’s Stewart Detention Center, where he was briefly held before being transferred to an undisclosed ICE facility.
His wife, Andrea Guevara, gave an emotional speech outside the courthouse:
“Mario has always fought for others. Now we must fight for him.”
Local newsrooms, including El Nuevo Georgia, WABE, and La Vision, published joint editorials calling for Guevara’s release and decrying what they described as an erosion of immigrant journalists’ safety.
Several members of Congress—including Georgia’s Rep. Nikema Williams and Illinois’s Jesús “Chuy” García—have called on DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to intervene and review Guevara’s case personally.
Life on Hold
For now, Guevara’s fate remains in limbo. His Substack, “Latino Deep South,” where he frequently published personal essays and local dispatches, has gone silent. In his last post, dated one day before his arrest, he wrote about the emotional toll of covering deportation stories—and the fear that one day, he too might be next.
That eerie premonition has come to pass.
Guevara’s children—two of whom are enrolled in Georgia public schools—now face the possibility of growing up without their father. His colleagues face the chilling reality that reporting on immigration enforcement can, itself, place one at risk.
And for many in Atlanta’s Latino community, the message is clear: no one is immune.
