El Salvador journalist can be deported from the USA

Mario Guevara has been living in the US for 20 years; NGOs still try to reverse court decision

Several US and international civil rights organizations are mobilized to try to prevent SalvadoRenho Mario Guevara from being deported from the US on Friday (3), although the last possible resource of the defense was refused yesterday.

The measure was determined by a court decision issued on 18 by the United States Immigration Appeals Board, which ordered its immediate removal to El Salvador three months after he was arrested while covering a protest against Donald Trump in Atlanta.

The attempt to block deportation has gained strength in recent weeks, with entities such as Aclu (Union for Civil Liberties), the Journalist Protection Committee (CPJ) and the government responsibility project presenting an emergency petition to suspend the order.

They claim that Guevara is being retaliated for their journalistic work, especially for covering police and migratory operations involving Latin communities.

But the court of appeals of the 11th US circuit rejected on Thursday an emergency motion presented by Guevara’s lawyers to suspend the deportation.

According to the family, he was taken to a migratory prison in Loussia, where he should be sent back to El Salvador at any time.

Who is Mario Guevara?

Mario Guevara is an investigative journalist who has lived in the United States for over two decades. A native of El Salvador, he settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as a reporter covering sensitive themes such as immigration, police violence and actions by ICE (Customs Immigration and Control Service).

Recognized for his performance in defense of immigrant communities, Guevara became a respected figure in local journalism, often exposing abuses committed by authorities in migratory operations.

In 2024 he founded the independent channel MG News, which broadcasts mainly through Facebook and the website Noticiasmg.com. Your Facebook page has over 700,000 followers.

How and why was he arrested?

Mario Guevara was arrested on June 14, 2025, while covering a protest against Donald Trump in Dekalb County, Atlanta Metropolitan Region, along with other press professionals.

He worked as a journalist on site, wearing a vest with press identification and broadcasting live on social networks, when he was approached by agents and detained.

Authorities claimed that he was involved in obstruction, illegal meeting and misuse of public roads, among other minor infractions.

However, all accusations were later filed for lack of evidence. Even so, Guevara was transferred to an ICE detention center based on an old immigration process reopened after his arrest.

The defense and civil rights organizations claim that its detention was a form of institutional retaliation, as Guevara had been publishing critical reports on police and migratory actions.

The arrest during the exercise of journalistic activity reinforces the thesis that he is being punished for his work.

The judicial decision and the date of deportation

On September 18, 2025, the US Immigration Appeals Board reversed a previous decision that had granted freedom to a guarantee to Guevara and determined its deportation after the legal procedures.

According to court documents, the removal is scheduled for today, October 3, which led civil rights organizations to intensify their efforts to prevent the measure.

The mobilization to prevent deportation

The emergency petition presented by groups such as ACLU and CPJ argues that Guevara is being punished for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression.

“We are facing an emblematic case of institutional retaliation against a journalist who dared to show what many prefer to hide,” said an aclu spokesman.

In addition, there is concerns about Guevara’s security if it is sent back to El Salvador, a country facing high rates of violence and repression against journalists.

The defense maintains that he is at risk of political and physical persecution, which would justify the suspension of deportation based on international human rights treaties.

President of El Salvador is an ally of Donald Trump

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is widely seen as a political ally of Donald Trump, with whom he shares a nationalist rhetoric and a tough stance against crime and immigration.

The Salvadoran government recently passed a law of “foreign agents”, considered by international organizations such as draconian and repressive, which requires individuals and institutions that receive financial support from abroad to register as such and make severe restrictions.

The measure, inspired by the Russian model, has been widely criticized for its direct impact on press freedom, as many independent vehicles and NGOs depend on international financing to operate.

As a result, several journalists and activists have already left the country, fearing persecution, censorship and legal reprisals. The current political environment in El Salvador raises serious concerns about Mario Guevara’s fate if deported.