Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara faces deportation by ICE

Mario Guevara facing deportation

Supporters of Gwinnett County journalist Mario Guevara are waiting to learn whether a federal judge will step in to block his deportation after a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals ordered him sent back to El Salvador.

ATLANTA - Supporters of Gwinnett County journalist Mario Guevara are waiting to learn whether a federal judge will step in to block his deportation after a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals ordered him sent back to El Salvador.

Guevara’s attorneys appeared Friday in federal court in Waycross seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the deportation. They say the Spanish-language reporter has lived legally in the United States for decades and is being targeted for his work.

Mario Guevara in ICE custody

The backstory:

Mario Guevara, 47, has been detained since June after being arrested by Doraville police while covering a "No Kings" protest. Video from the incident showed him wearing a vest marked "PRESS" and identifying himself as a journalist before being taken into custody. Local charges were later dropped, but ICE transferred him into immigration detention. He has since been moved between several facilities, most recently in Folkston, more than five hours from his family.

The case has drawn widespread attention from journalism and press freedom groups, as well as local officials in Georgia. Guevara, who fled violence in El Salvador two decades ago, built his career at Mundo Hispanico before launching his own outlet, MG News. He has become known in the Hispanic community for quickly arriving at scenes involving ICE and police activity.

Hispanic journalist arrested during metro Atlanta protests in ICE custody

ICE agents picked up Mario Guevara, 47, from the DeKalb County jail overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the agency.

Federal prosecutors maintain Guevara was detained for immigration violations, not because of his journalism. But state Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat from Atlanta, accused the Trump administration of retaliating against him for his reporting.

Concerns over First Amendment

What they're saying:

"He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s been in this country for decades legally. He has been reporting on what’s been happening in his community," said Sen. McLaurin. "It’s a bad decision."

"What the BIA did today was completely without warning," McLaurin said. "He was waiting to see if he could have normal immigration proceedings to see if he could stay in this country."

State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Democrat from Duluth, said the ruling "chills free speech." She added, "This is a journalist — all he did was just cover the news and then got ensnared in technicalities."

Mario Guevara. FOX 5 Atlanta image

Guevara being held in Folkston

What's next:

Guevara has been moved among several ICE facilities, most recently to Folkston in southeast Georgia. His lawyers are still waiting for a ruling on whether the federal court will block the deportation order. Until then, advocates say, he could be deported at any moment.

What's next:

A deadline of Oct. 3 has been set by the federal judge for ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to respond to the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order.