In a healthy democracy, a free press is essential. That freedom is under attack in the United States today.
On Sept. 19 an immigration court ordered the deportation of a journalist who was arrested for the so-called crime of reporting.
Mario Guevara is an Emmy-winning journalist who has been detained for more than 100 days — all because the government considers his livestream reporting a threat. Guevara was arrested on June 14 while he was covering a protest in the Atlanta area and was then transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, where he remains.
JOIN OUR CALL FOR MARIO GUEVERA’S IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deportation without due process would be the horrific new normal here should Mario Guevara be sent back to El Salvador without the court hearing his constitutional claims.
This is one of the longest periods a journalist has ever been detained in the United States. Guevara is the only known journalist currently behind bars in this country for his reporting.
The government’s prolonged detention and threatened deportation of Guevara sends a chilling message to all journalists and residents who record law enforcement, document government activities and seek to report the truth. This is a blatant attack on the First Amendment and press freedom. Livestreaming and filming police is not a crime.
We, the undersigned press-freedom, civil- and human-rights advocates; First Amendment experts; and concerned community members, call for the immediate release of journalist Mario Guevara from ICE custody.