Latest news with #GiovanniDiaz
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Journalist arrested by ICE remains in custody despite being granted bond by judge
A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains in federal custody despite a judge granting him a bond last week. Mario Guevara was arrested just outside Atlanta while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to ICE several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston — in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border — when an immigration judge last week granted him bond. But when his family tried to pay the $7,500 bond last week, ICE didn't accept it and he has since been shuffled between three other jails, his lawyer Giovanni Diaz said. 'We are of the opinion that there seems to be a concerted effort between different jurisdictions to keep him detained,' Diaz said. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a loyal audience as a journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News. He was livestreaming video on social media from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application sponsored by his adult U.S. citizen son, the lawyer said. After Immigration Judge James Ward granted him bond, Guevara's family tried several times to pay it online but it wouldn't go through, Diaz said. They then went to pay it in person and ICE refused to accept it, he said. 'What we didn't know was what was going on in the background,' Diaz said, explaining that they have since learned that ICE was challenging his release to the Board of Immigration Appeals and asked to put the bond order on hold while that's pending. Another of Guevara's attorneys was then told that he was being transferred to Gwinnett County, in suburban Atlanta, because there were open warrants for his arrest on traffic charges there. He was taken to the Gwinnett jail last Thursday and was released the same day on bond in that case. Because his immigration bond had not been paid, he was taken back into ICE custody at that point, Diaz said. He was taken to Floyd County, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, where the county sheriff's office has an agreement to detain people for ICE. Floyd County Jail records showed that he was in custody there until Monday. Diaz said Guevara was then moved to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Atlanta, where he remained on Tuesday. The immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. 'We think it's overkill,' the lawyer said. And in what Diaz characterized as a concerning development, Guevara was told while in custody in Gwinnett County that his phone was confiscated under a search warrant. The video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. DeKalb police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed those charges, saying that while probable cause existed to support the arrest, there wasn't enough evidence to support a prosecution. 'At the time of his arrest, the video evidence shows Mr. Guevara generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives,' her office said in a news release. Guevara's arrest immediately drew widespread attention and was criticized by press freedom groups, which said he was simply doing his job. On June 20, the Gwinnett sheriff's office said it had secured warrants for Guevara's arrest on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, saying that, he had 'compromised operational integrity and jeopardized the safety' of victims of a law enforcement case, investigators an Gwinnett residents. An initial incident report says the charges stem from a May 20 incident, which it says was reported June 17 — three days after his arrest at the protest. The narrative section of the report gives no details. Diaz said people charged with traffic violations are usually charged on the spot, and it is very unusual for an officer to swear out a warrant for arrest on such a violation a month later. "None of this is normal," Diaz said.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Journalist arrested by ICE remains in custody despite being granted bond by judge
A Spanish-language journalist who was arrested and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains in federal custody despite a judge granting him a bond last week. Mario Guevara was arrested just outside Atlanta while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to ICE several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston — in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border — when an immigration judge last week granted him bond. But when his family tried to pay the $7,500 bond last week, ICE didn't accept it and he has since been shuffled between three other jails, his lawyer Giovanni Diaz said. 'We are of the opinion that there seems to be a concerted effort between different jurisdictions to keep him detained,' Diaz said. Guevara, 47, fled El Salvador two decades ago and drew a loyal audience as a journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He worked for Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language newspaper, for years before starting a digital news outlet called MG News. He was livestreaming video on social media from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. Guevara has been authorized to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application sponsored by his adult U.S. citizen son, the lawyer said. After Immigration Judge James Ward granted him bond, Guevara's family tried several times to pay it online but it wouldn't go through, Diaz said. They then went to pay it in person and ICE refused to accept it, he said. 'What we didn't know was what was going on in the background,' Diaz said, explaining that they have since learned that ICE was challenging his release to the Board of Immigration Appeals and asked to put the bond order on hold while that's pending. Another of Guevara's attorneys was then told that he was being transferred to Gwinnett County, in suburban Atlanta, because there were open warrants for his arrest on traffic charges there. He was taken to the Gwinnett jail last Thursday and was released the same day on bond in that case. Because his immigration bond had not been paid, he was taken back into ICE custody at that point, Diaz said. He was taken to Floyd County, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, where the county sheriff's office has an agreement to detain people for ICE. Floyd County Jail records showed that he was in custody there until Monday. Diaz said Guevara was then moved to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Atlanta, where he remained on Tuesday. The immigration judge agreed with Guevara's lawyers that the journalist is not a danger to the community, but ICE is arguing he's such a threat that he shouldn't be released, Diaz said. 'We think it's overkill,' the lawyer said. And in what Diaz characterized as a concerning development, Guevara was told while in custody in Gwinnett County that his phone was confiscated under a search warrant. The video from his arrest shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. He could be heard telling a police officer, 'I'm a member of the media, officer.' He was standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, moments before he was taken away. DeKalb police charged Guevara with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. His lawyers worked to get him released and he was granted bond in DeKalb, but ICE had put a hold on him and he was held until they came to pick him up. DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling on June 25 dismissed those charges, saying that while probable cause existed to support the arrest, there wasn't enough evidence to support a prosecution. 'At the time of his arrest, the video evidence shows Mr. Guevara generally in compliance and does not demonstrate the intent to disregard law enforcement directives,' her office said in a news release. Guevara's arrest immediately drew widespread attention and was criticized by press freedom groups, which said he was simply doing his job. On June 20, the Gwinnett sheriff's office said it had secured warrants for Guevara's arrest on charges of distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, saying that, he had 'compromised operational integrity and jeopardized the safety' of victims of a law enforcement case, investigators an Gwinnett residents. An initial incident report says the charges stem from a May 20 incident, which it says was reported June 17 — three days after his arrest at the protest. The narrative section of the report gives no details. Diaz said people charged with traffic violations are usually charged on the spot, and it is very unusual for an officer to swear out a warrant for arrest on such a violation a month later. "None of this is normal," Diaz said.
Al Arabiya
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
ICE Takes Custody of Spanish-Language Journalist Arrested at Georgia Protest
US immigration authorities said Wednesday they have detained a Spanish-language journalist who will face deportation proceedings following his arrest on charges of obstructing police and unlawful assembly while covering a weekend protest outside Atlanta. Mario Guevara was turned over by police to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody three days after he was jailed in DeKalb County, agency spokesman Lindsay Williams said in an emailed statement. His case now goes to immigration court to determine whether Guevara, a native of El Salvador, can remain in the US. His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, has said that Guevara was doing his job and committed no crime when police arrested him. He also says Guevara has legal authorization to live and work in the US and has a pending application for permanent residency. Diaz did not immediately return phone and email messages Wednesday. Guevara fled El Salvador two decades ago and built a large following as an independent journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He was livestreaming video on social media Saturday from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. 'I'm a member of the media,' Guevara tells a police officer right before he's arrested. The video shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. DeKalb County officials have said at least eight people were arrested during the Saturday demonstration, with police using tear gas to turn away protesters marching toward an interstate on-ramp. Guevara's video shows him standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him right before he's arrested. Jail records show Guevara was charged with obstructing police, unlawful assembly, and improperly entering a roadway. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Guevara's arrest and detention by ICE. 'His ongoing detention signals a frightening erosion of press freedom in the US,' Katherine Jacobsen, the group's US program coordinator, said in a statement. ICE's statement did not say why Guevara was being detained or where he would be held. Williams did not immediately respond to an email message asking those questions. Guevara fled El Salvador with his family in 2004, saying he was beaten and repeatedly harassed because of his work as a political reporter for the newspaper La Prensa Gráfica. They immigrated to Georgia, where Guevara worked as a reporter for Georgia's largest Spanish-language newspaper, Mundo Hispánico, before launching his own online news site, MGNews. An immigration judge in 2012 denied Guevara's application for asylum and ordered him and his family to leave the country. However, ICE worked with Guevara's lawyer to close his case without deporting anyone. Diaz said it was resolved with Guevara receiving authorization to continue working in the US. Diaz has said Guevara has a strong case to remain in the US, though the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown has left the journalist's family worried. 'Under this administration, we don't know what that means for us,' Guevara's adult daughter, Katherine Guevara, said during a Tuesday news conference. 'Temporary legal status may not mean anything.'
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
ICE takes custody of Spanish-language journalist arrested at Georgia protest
U.S. immigration authorities said Wednesday they have detained a Spanish-language journalist, who will face deportation proceedings following his arrest on charges of obstructing police and unlawful assembly while covering a weekend protest outside Atlanta. Mario Guevara was turned over by police to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody three days after he was jailed in DeKalb County, agency spokesman Lindsay Williams said in an emailed statement. His case now goes to immigration court to determine whether Guevara, a native of El Salvador, can remain in the U.S. His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, has said that Guevara was doing his job and committed no crime when police arrested him. He also says Guevara has legal authorization to live and work in the U.S., and has a pending application for permanent residency. Diaz did not immediately return phone and email messages Wednesday. Guevara fled El Salvador two decades ago and built a large following as an independent journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He was livestreaming video on social media Saturday from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump 's administration when local police arrested him. 'I'm a member of the media, officer,' Guevara tells a police officer right before he's arrested. The video shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. DeKalb County officials have said at least eight people were arrested during the Saturday demonstration, with police using tear gas to turn away protesters marching toward an interstate onramp. Guevara's video shows him standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, right before he's arrested. Jail records show Guevara was charged with obstructing police, unlawful assembly and improperly entering a roadway. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Guevara's arrest and detention by ICE. 'His ongoing detention signals a frightening erosion of press freedom in the U.S.,' Katherine Jacobsen, the group's U.S. program coordinator, said in a statement. ICE's statement did not say why Guevara was being detained or where he would be held. Williams did not immediately respond to an email message asking those questions. Guevara fled El Salvador with his family in 2004, saying he was beaten and repeatedly harassed because of his work as a political reporter for the newspaper La Prensa Grafica. They immigrated to Georgia, where Guevara worked as a reporter for Georgia's largest Spanish-language newspaper, Mundo Hispanico, before launching his own online news site, MGNews. An immigration judge in 2012 denied Guevara's application for asylum and ordered him and his family to leave the country. However, ICE worked with Guevara's lawyer to close his case without deporting anyone. Diaz said it was resolved with Guevara receiving authorization to continue working in the U.S. Diaz has said Guevara has a strong case to remain in the U.S., though the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown has left the journalist's family worried. 'Under this administration, we don't know what that means for us," Guevara's adult daughter, Katherine Guevara, said during a Tuesday news conference. "Temporary legal status may not mean anything.' ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.
Associated Press
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
ICE takes custody of Spanish-language journalist arrested at Georgia protest
U.S. immigration authorities said Wednesday they have detained a Spanish-language journalist, who will face deportation proceedings following his arrest on charges of obstructing police and unlawful assembly while covering a weekend protest outside Atlanta. Mario Guevara was turned over by police to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody three days after he was jailed in DeKalb County, agency spokesman Lindsay Williams said in an emailed statement. His case now goes to immigration court to determine whether Guevara, a native of El Salvador, can remain in the U.S. His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, has said that Guevara was doing his job and committed no crime when police arrested him. He also says Guevara has legal authorization to live and work in the U.S., and has a pending application for permanent residency. Diaz did not immediately return phone and email messages Wednesday. Guevara fled El Salvador two decades ago and built a large following as an independent journalist covering immigration in the Atlanta area. He was livestreaming video on social media Saturday from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's administration when local police arrested him. 'I'm a member of the media, officer,' Guevara tells a police officer right before he's arrested. The video shows Guevara wearing a bright red shirt under a protective vest with 'PRESS' printed across his chest. DeKalb County officials have said at least eight people were arrested during the Saturday demonstration, with police using tear gas to turn away protesters marching toward an interstate onramp. Guevara's video shows him standing on a sidewalk with other journalists, with no sign of big crowds or confrontations around him, right before he's arrested. Jail records show Guevara was charged with obstructing police, unlawful assembly and improperly entering a roadway. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Guevara's arrest and detention by ICE. 'His ongoing detention signals a frightening erosion of press freedom in the U.S.,' Katherine Jacobsen, the group's U.S. program coordinator, said in a statement. ICE's statement did not say why Guevara was being detained or where he would be held. Williams did not immediately respond to an email message asking those questions. Guevara fled El Salvador with his family in 2004, saying he was beaten and repeatedly harassed because of his work as a political reporter for the newspaper La Prensa Grafica. They immigrated to Georgia, where Guevara worked as a reporter for Georgia's largest Spanish-language newspaper, Mundo Hispanico, before launching his own online news site, MGNews. An immigration judge in 2012 denied Guevara's application for asylum and ordered him and his family to leave the country. However, ICE worked with Guevara's lawyer to close his case without deporting anyone. Diaz said it was resolved with Guevara receiving authorization to continue working in the U.S. Diaz has said Guevara has a strong case to remain in the U.S., though the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown has left the journalist's family worried. 'Under this administration, we don't know what that means for us,' Guevara's adult daughter, Katherine Guevara, said during a Tuesday news conference. 'Temporary legal status may not mean anything.' ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.
