Spanish translation available here.
Journalist Mario Guevara remains in immigration detention after the Board of Immigration Appeals refused to release him despite an immigration judge’s order granting him bond. The board instead directed that Guevara be deported to El Salvador, the country he fled more than two decades ago. The ACLU and ACLU of Georgia are urging a federal court to release him and intervene before his removal.
Despite clearly identifying himself as press, Guevara was arrested by local law enforcement in June while reporting on a protest against the Trump administration near Atlanta. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) then took him into custody. Prosecutors quickly dropped the charges after confirming he was complying with law enforcement, and an immigration judge granted him bond. Immigration officials, however, refused to release him, claiming that livestreaming law enforcement activity makes him a threat.
The ACLU filed an emergency habeas petition, arguing that his detention is unconstitutional retaliation against protected First Amendment activities as a journalist and urging his immediate release so he can return to his family and continue reporting. Today, advocates warn that deporting Guevara would be a devastating injustice. He has lived in the United States for more than two decades, is an Emmy-award winning journalist, is eligible for a green card through his U.S. citizen son, and should never have been jailed in the first place. Keeping him in detention — and threatening him with deportation — harms not just him and his family, but also press freedom and democracy itself.
Below, read a letter Guevara hand wrote from immigration detention.
As of today, Monday, I’ve been behind bars for 100 days, more than three months locked up as if I were a criminal. I am aware of my legal situation; I know I am about to be deported from this country, a country I have loved and respected for more than two decades.
Life is not always fair. If I am deported, I will leave with my head held high, because I am convinced it will be for doing my work as a journalist and not for committing crimes.
That said, I will leave with a broken heart and my dignity tarnished, because I have been humiliated by both federal and local authorities, and I don’t believe I deserve it. And because my family, the thing I love most in life, will be separated, although all my loved ones know it has all been because of my passion for my work.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States says ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Right now, that is a fallacy. They should add, “except for immigrants.’
Credit: Mario Guevara
May God grant that, in the not-too-distant future, love and mercy overcome the racial hatred that is dividing this beautiful nation, and that the American people understand that calling oneself Christian includes respect for and support of foreigners. At least that’s what my Bible says.
To my family, I ask forgiveness for having caused them so much pain with my work-related foolishness. I also ask the U.S. justice system for forgiveness, because I violated some of its traffic laws, but it was never with bad intentions, nor out of malice.*
To my Latino community, I thank you for always supporting me, and to MGNews clients, for trusting me and my team: THANK YOU.
God never makes mistakes and is always in control, so I trust that wherever I go, I will continue serving my people. Blessings.
*Gwinnett County issued minor traffic violation charges against Guevara related to his work as a journalist, filed after he was detained by ICE. Gwinnett County then dismissed all charges.
This originally appeared on https://noticiasmg.com/