Hispanic journalist Mario Guevara is retained by ICE after arrest during protests in Atlanta
Since the increase in immigration raids promoted by Donald Trump, Guevara has dedicated himself to touring Latino neighborhoods in search of ICE operatives
Journalist Mario Guevara remains in prison after being arrested last Saturday during a protest against ICE in DeKalb County, Atlanta. This Monday it was reported that the Hispanic faces a new charge.
According to information released by Univision, the list of charges against Guevara grew this Monday, when one of “unlawful assembly” was added, joining others such as obstructing law enforcement officers and walking as a pedestrian on a vehicular road.
Mario Guevara, a prominent Spanish-language journalist in the Atlanta metropolitan area who frequently covers immigration and customs enforcement raids, was handed over to ICE detention after being arrested by local police while covering the “No Kings” protests.
Guevara, 47, was born in El Salvador and has been in the United States for more than 20 years. He filmed his own arrest Saturday during a noisy street protest in the Embry Hills area of ??northern DeKalb County, a suburban Atlanta neighborhood with a large Latino population. The protest ended with riot police firing tear gas and forcing protesters to march down the street after declaring an unlawful assembly. Thirty-five minutes into the video, Guevara was livestreaming on Facebook to more than 1 million viewers. He is first seen on the sidewalk, backing away from an approaching police officer. As he stepped back into the street, two other officers immediately arrested him.
While he was eventually released on bail, a DeKalb County Sheriff's spokeswoman confirmed that ICE had placed a hold on the journalist.
When an ICE detainer is placed on him, it means that the jail must hold the person for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release.
The purpose of the hold is to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to review the case or take custody of the individual.
As a journalist for Diario CoLatino in El Salvador,Guevara fled the country in 2004, avoiding threats from leftist paramilitary groups. It took him seven years to get his first asylum hearing before a judge.
Guevara is known in the immigrant community for being part of Spanish-language media outlets such as Atlanta Latino and Mundo Hispánico in the Atlanta metro area, reporting on criminal justice issues.
His reporting has won awards, including an Emmy. His stories have revealed corruption at the Honduran consulate in Georgia and documented the impact of immigration enforcement in Atlanta.
He founded MGNews in June of last year, focusing on immigration enforcement, and quickly amassed a sizable following. At the time of his arrest on Saturday, Guevara was broadcasting live on Facebook to more than 1 million viewers, surpassing CNN and Fox News combined on a Saturday afternoon.

