Salvadoran journalist could face deportation after arrest for obstruction at Georgia 'No Kings' protest

A Salvadoran journalist with a large social media following for covering immigration raids may soon face deportation.

Mario Guevara is facing possible deportation after being arrested at a protest in Georgia over the weekend and subsequently transferred to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Guevara was detained during a “No Kings” protest in Doraville, just northeast of Atlanta, where he was livestreaming the demonstration. He was released without bail by a judge; however, ICE authorities requested that he remain detained because of his immigration status, according to a report by CNN.

Guevara entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 after reportedly receiving death threats related to his reporting in El Salvador. His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, said during a Tuesday press conference that Guevara holds a permit to live and work in the US, though he is not a permanent resident.

Guevara is well-known for his coverage of immigration enforcement and protest events. His news outlet, “MG News,” has more than 110,000 followers on Facebook, while his personal page has over 780,000 followers. His livestreams often show on-the-ground footage of immigration raids and demonstrations.

Video from the event shows officers approaching and arresting him. According to DeKalb County jail records, Guevara was charged with improperly entering a pedestrian roadway, obstruction of law enforcement, and unlawful assembly.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Guevara’s arrest and ICE’s involvement, calling it “a crude form of censorship” that could result in deportation. Zachary Gaeta, another attorney representing Guevara, said the journalist was clearly identifiable as a member of the press during the arrest, with video showing him wearing a vest and press credentials.

“He was not protesting, he was recording,” Gaeta explained in a video posted on Facebook.