ICE takes custody of Spanish-language journalist arrested at Georgia protest

U.S. migration authorities said Wednesday they person detained a Spanish-language journalist, who volition look deportation proceedings pursuing his arrest connected charges of obstructing constabulary and unlawful assembly portion covering a play protestation extracurricular Atlanta.

Mario Guevara was turned implicit by constabulary to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody 3 days aft helium was jailed successful DeKalb County, bureau spokesperson Lindsay Williams said successful an emailed statement. His lawsuit present goes to migration tribunal to find whether Guevara, a autochthonal of El Salvador, tin stay successful the U.S.

His attorney, Giovanni Diaz, has said that Guevara was doing his occupation and committed nary transgression erstwhile constabulary arrested him. He besides says Guevara has ineligible authorization to unrecorded and enactment successful the U.S., and has a pending exertion for imperishable residency. Diaz did not instantly instrumentality telephone and email messages Wednesday.

Guevara fled El Salvador 2 decades agone and built a ample pursuing arsenic an autarkic writer covering migration successful the Atlanta area. He was livestreaming video connected societal media Saturday from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump's medication erstwhile section constabulary arrested him.

“I’m a subordinate of the media, officer,” Guevara tells a constabulary serviceman close earlier he’s arrested. The video shows Guevara wearing a agleam reddish garment nether a protective vest with “PRESS” printed crossed his chest.

DeKalb County officials person said astatine slightest 8 radical were arrested during the Saturday demonstration, with constabulary utilizing teardrop state to crook distant protesters marching toward an interstate onramp. Guevara's video shows him lasting connected a sidewalk with different journalists, with nary motion of large crowds oregon confrontations astir him, close earlier he's arrested.

Jail records amusement Guevara was charged with obstructing police, unlawful assembly and improperly entering a roadway.

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Guevara's apprehension and detention by ICE.

“His ongoing detention signals a frightening erosion of property state successful the U.S.,” Katherine Jacobsen, the group's U.S. programme coordinator, said successful a statement.

ICE's connection did not accidental wherefore Guevara was being detained oregon wherever helium would beryllium held. Williams did not instantly respond to an email connection asking those questions.

Guevara fled El Salvador with his household successful 2004, saying helium was beaten and repeatedly harassed due to the fact that of his enactment arsenic a governmental newsman for the paper La Prensa Grafica. They immigrated to Georgia, wherever Guevara worked arsenic a newsman for Georgia’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, Mundo Hispanico, earlier launching his ain online quality site, MGNews.

An migration justice successful 2012 denied Guevara's application for asylum and ordered him and his household to permission the country. However, ICE worked with Guevara's lawyer to adjacent his lawsuit without deporting anyone. Diaz said it was resolved with Guevara receiving authorization to proceed moving successful the U.S.

Diaz has said Guevara has a beardown lawsuit to stay successful the U.S., though the Trump administration's assertive immigration crackdown has near the journalist's household worried.

“Under this administration, we don’t cognize what that means for us," Guevara's big daughter, Katherine Guevara, said during a Tuesday quality conference. "Temporary ineligible presumption whitethorn not mean anything.”

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.