Press freedom groups sound alarm as Spanish-language journalist remains in ICE custody

Caption

Doraville Police body cam showing the arrest of journalist Mario Guevara during a protest in Metro Atlanta on June 14, 2025.

Credit: Screenshot

A Spanish-language journalist remains in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being arrested while covering a protest in metro Atlanta earlier this month.

Mario Guevara was livestreaming a protest in DeKalb County on June 14 when police arrested him, despite video showing him wearing a press vest and identifying himself as a journalist.

Guevara, an Emmy-award winning journalist who covers immigration on his MGnews Facebook page and other social media platforms, now faces misdemeanor charges linked to the protest, as well as additional traffic warrants issued by Gwinnett County.

ICE issued a detainer after Guevara's arrest and transferred him to the Folkston ICE Processing Center, where he remains in custody.

On Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists, along with the Atlanta Press Club and a group of local and national press sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expressing alarm over Guevara’s detention. 

“If Guevara’s case proceeds, it would represent a grim erosion of both freedom of the press and the rule of law,” the letter stated.

Guevara’s lawyer says they are preparing to request a bond hearing in hopes of securing his release.

GPB has reached out to ICE for additional details on Guevara's case. GPB's Peter Biello spoke to Mike Jordan, chair of the Atlanta Press Club's board of directors, on the situation.

TRANSCRIPT:

Peter Biello: This is All Things Considered on GPB. I'm Peter Biello. A Spanish language journalist remains in ICE custody after being arrested while covering a protest in metro Atlanta earlier this month. The arrest of Mario Guevara on June 14 while he was working as a journalist has alarmed press freedom advocates. The Committee to Protect Journalists, along with the Atlanta Press Club, have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, calling his arrest "chilling" and demanding his release. Mike Jordan is chair of the Atlanta Press Club's board of directors, and he's with me now. Welcome to the program.

Mike Jordan: Thanks for having me, Peter.

Peter Biello: So why did the Atlanta Press Club want to sign on to this letter?

Mike Jordan: Well, the Atlanta Press Club's mission is serving the evolving professional, educational, and social needs of the media community here, and we're fostering journalistic excellence, advancing the public's interest in and the understanding of a free press. And so, when we talk about a free press, we're talking about a local journalist here. Mr. Guevara is an Atlanta journalist. This happened in the Atlanta area, and it is important to our organization to speak out whenever situations like these arise, and a member of the press is detained. We think that speaks directly to our mission, and we were in contact with CPJ and we said that this is something that we believe in and our board decided that we wanted to sign on to their letter because we are in solidarity with this situation and we would like to see a more thorough review and better treatment of journalists in Atlanta and beyond.

Peter Biello: What is your understanding of what happened on that day, June 14?

Mike Jordan: Well, my understanding is that he was detained. We are still looking at the facts, but this was covering a protest in the Embrey Hills neighborhood. So, I understand that they're saying that there were several misdemeanor charges filed. Some even in previous situations before he was taken into ICE custody. So, we're still awaiting any sort of resolution. We understand that removal proceedings are still in play. So, we're waiting, like everyone else, to see what's happening here, but our understanding is that he was taken into custody. He was improperly entering a roadway, they're saying. He obstructed law enforcement officers, and there was unlawful assembly. But we don't believe that those charges are justified, and that's why we signed on to the letter from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Peter Biello: And why is it significant that they filed these misdemeanor charges? What relationship does that have to his detention and possible deportation by ICE?

Mike Jordan: Those are very good questions, and I would hope that we'll find answers to those because to us this is a member of the press who was wearing a vest clearly marked "press," while he was live streaming the proceedings and documenting a matter of public interest, just as the letter says. So those are questions that we hope will get answers and we hope that it does not require him to be taken from this country and removed from this country simply for doing his job as a journalist — a working journalist here in Atlanta.

Peter Biello: As the letter points out, these charges — charges like these are rare. When they do happen, what's the usual outcome?

Mike Jordan: Um, the usual outcome? In these days and times, I don't know if we can rely on the usual outcome. We're in a wait-and-see situation and, as we've seen, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, they have been very active in removing and trying to adhere to President Trump's needs and wants to have a large amount of undocumented persons removed from this country. And while that may be the case, we're looking at journalists and we're look at this person specifically, and Mr. Guevara is a working journalist and a member of the press here in Atlanta. And we do not believe that, whether it is business as usual or anything else, that we should go through with any proceedings without taking a moment and giving him due process.

Peter Biello: Is the government in some way trying to send a message to other journalists, whether they're U.S. citizens or not, about covering ICE activities in Georgia or anywhere else in the United States?

Mike Jordan: I would leave that for government to answer. I can only speak for the Atlanta Press Club in my capacity as the chairman and as a working journalist myself. I would say that I don't quite understand if that is the motive, that this is what the proper protocol would be. All I can say is that we're here to fight along with CPJ and other great organizations who have signed on to the letter to say that this something that we believe must not be allowed to stand without thorough questioning. We're doing the job of journalism even as we defend our colleague, Mr. Guevara. So, I would say any other questions about what the governor's motivations are should be directed to those government officials.

Peter Biello: Understood. So regardless of what the government is trying to do, what message do their actions send, in your view, to journalists trying to cover ICE in the United States?

Mike Jordan: Well, they seem to be in conflict with the idea of a free press. Mr. Guevara, just like all of the great working journalists that cover protests and anything happening in Atlanta, whether it is related to ICE and whether it's related to the current administration or anything else, we're there to do a job, we are there to inform the public, we are there for the better understanding of how a free press operates. So, this falls right into our wheelhouse of what we want to defend, of what advocate for, and what we want to see happen, which is journalists being able to keep a democratic society informed and to let people know what's going on in their neighborhoods and communities and beyond. And being connected to a wider network of journalism organizations such as CPJ, it helps us to know that we are not alone — such as Mr. Guevara is not alone — and we're all here to advocate and support him and other journalists who may be going through similar situations, just doing their jobs.

Peter Biello: Whether or not Mr. Guevara is released from detention, does the fact of his detention instill a chilling effect to some extent on those who are working press?

Mike Jordan: Well, I would say that individual members of the press probably have their own feelings and situations. Not everyone covers the same beat. But the job of media is not a job that is always understood, and a lot of times, we are put in positions to where we put ourselves — not necessarily in harm's way, but in the way of activity as it's going on. So, this is not the first time that journalists have been detained. We don't want to see it happen ever. But I would say in terms of a chilling effect, what I would say: We are, as an industry, as a community of journalists, of people who report on news and share that information — we are not a group of people that are easily backed down. This is a job that is relied upon. The American people, the citizens of Atlanta and Georgia, they rely on our journalists to keep them informed. And that's exactly what we're going to do. So, I would tell you that I personally feel no chilling effect. And I can tell you that the Atlanta Press Club board is behind this effort to make sure that Mr. Guevara is treated fairly, and we want his freedom, and we want to see all journalists do not have any sort of situation that would put them in the way of being afraid and intimidated to do their job, which is informing the American press of what's happening in their communities.

Peter Biello: Mike Jordan is chair of the Atlanta Press Club's board of directors. Thank you so much for speaking with me. I appreciate it.

Mike Jordan: Always a pleasure, Peter. Thank you.