Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by Sophia Qureshi and 285 South from 285 South on October 3, 2025.
Amongst friends and family, a mix of heartbreak, and fear as the long-time reporter, known for covering ICE, lands back in his home country.
Around the Atlanta area, friends and family of Mario Guevara are feeling a mix of emotions at the news that the journalist, known for covering ICE enforcement in the metro over the last two decades, has been deported to El Salvador.
The U.S. Court of Appeals denied his emergency request to remain in the country, and he was transferred to a facility in Louisiana where he would be moved to a plane en route to El Salvador early Friday morning.
“Estamos devastados, pero por lo menos no está muerto y eso es lo único que nos da esperanza,” said Óscar Guevara, son of Mario in an interview with the MGNews –Mario’s news outlet. We are devastated, but at least he’s not dead, and that’s the only thing that gives us hope.
“This is the outcome we wouldn’t have wanted,” said Rafael Navarro, a long-time friend of Mario and editor and editor of Notivision Georgia. “But at this moment it’s the healthiest for him and his family; to end the daily anguish and the state of indecision that was wearing thin on his emotional strength while in detention, but also on the strength of his immediate family and everyone around him.”
Irene Diaz-Bazan, founder of the Spanish media Prensa Atlanta, used to work with Mario at Atlanta Latino, a publication that has since shut down. She said she was confident that he would remain strong despite his deportation. “He’s going to start a new opportunity,” she said. “He’s gonna keep in contact with the community.”
Her kids went to school with Mario’s kids, and she’s worried most about the family being divided. “Part of the family is going to stay here. The other is going to be there in El Salvador,” she said. “Being separate is the worst thing for a family.”
Irene and Rafael visited Mario in Folkston detention center earlier in the summer. She said she hopes to go to El Salvador soon to interview him.
Mario was detained On June 14, while he was covering a Stop ICE protest in DeKalb County. Local police arrested him and charged him with unlawful assembly, obstruction of police, and being a pedestrian on or along the roadway. Those charges were eventually dropped, but by that time Mario had already been transferred to ICE custody. Gwinnett County surfaced charges against Mario for distracted and reckless driving, and failure to obey a traffic device In late June. In July, the Gwinnett County Solicitor-General said she would not prosecute those charges. He was held in ICE custody for over 100 days.
Press freedom and advocacy groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the ACLU, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, as well as local and state officials have raised concerns over his case, with some arguing that it was a retaliation for his journalistic endeavors.
“Journalists should not have to fear government retaliation, including prolonged detention, for reporting on government activity, and showing up to work should not result in your family being torn apart,” Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, & Technology Project wrote in a press statement. “Mario’s treatment should terrify any person in this country that cares about a free press.”
Rafael said from the moment that Mario was arrested, the family and closest friends knew it wouldn’t be easy to get him out because of his immigration status. “And, above all, because of the country’s current political situation, where the rule of law, due process, and respect for civil rights have been undermined,” Rafael said. “That is a recurring concern, one that was clearly evident in Mario’s case and that we now see with this outcome, with his deportation to El Salvador.”
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