The Next 48 Hours Could Determine Mario Guevara’s Fate
By Nick Valencia
ATLANTA
The next 48 hours could determine whether Mario Guevara, a longtime Spanish-language journalist and fixture in Atlanta’s immigrant media circles, will be allowed to remain in the United States—or deported to a country he once fled for his life.
Guevara, who was arrested Saturday while covering the “No Kings” protest in DeKalb County, had his release granted Monday on an own-recognizance bond (OR Bond). But just as he was about to walk free, ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him.
That move paused his release and put his future in limbo.
If ICE acts within the 48-hour window, Guevara could be taken into federal custody and placed in deportation proceedings. If they don’t—or if DeKalb County chooses not to honor the hold—he could be released later this week.
The irony of Guevara’s situation isn’t lost on those who know his reporting. A polarizing figure in some media circles, Guevara has drawn criticism in the past for appearing sympathetic to law enforcement and, at times, to Republican immigration narratives. In one incident during a traffic stop, Guevara—live on video—asked a police officer whether a Latino man had a valid driver’s license, prompting criticism that he had blurred the line between journalist and immigration enforcer.
Now, he’s hoping that same system shows him mercy.
Guevara is originally from El Salvador and first faced possible deportation during the Obama administration. At the time, advocacy groups—including the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)—wrote an open letter to the White House urging officials to allow him to stay. Guevara said returning to his home country, where he once reported on gang violence as a crime journalist, would be “a death sentence.”
He’s lived in the U.S. for more than two decades, has work authorization, and is currently in the process of applying for a green card through his U.S.-born son.
His family said the ICE hold was unexpected, especially after DeKalb County prosecutors agreed to let him out on bond.
Guevara faces misdemeanor charges.
He was livestreaming when he was arrested, and the video showed police taking his phone mid-broadcast and confronting him at close range with a long gun. His arrest has drawn condemnation from Latino press advocates and free speech watchdogs.
He remains in DeKalb County Jail.