AFPC-USA Responds to the Imminent Deportation of Journalist Mario Guevara
We, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) are outraged by the imminent deportation of journalist Mario Guevara, a blatant act of retaliation that strikes at the heart of press freedom in the United States. Guevara—a respected reporter who has lived in this country for more than 20 years—now faces removal after an immigration appeals court abruptly closed his case and ordered his deportation, despite an immigration judge’s earlier decision granting bond and recognizing a clear legal path to residency.
Guevara was arrested while covering a peaceful protest in suburban Atlanta on minor charges that were swiftly dropped. Yet U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has continued to detain him for over three months, in what the Committee to Protect Journalists has rightly identified as direct reprisal for his reporting on immigration issues.
“The destruction of society begins with one small deviation of the very principles that founded this country. This is defined and carefully illuminated in the first amendment of our constitution Justice for all, truth above pasteurized lies," said AFPC-USA Chairwoman Nancy Prager Kamel. She added: "History will not protect those abusers who believe they can act with impunity. If you bruise the pages of history, it is covered in the blood and infection of those who intentionally distort the truth. The Very symbol of these realities is the case of the imprisoned journalist Mario Guevara, who is facing imminent deportation after a puppet immigration appeals court ordered his removal and closure of his case."
Targeting a journalist for their work is unacceptable in any democracy. We call on U.S. authorities to halt Guevara’s deportation immediately, release him from detention at the Folkston ICE processing center, and respect his right to continue his reporting without fear of government retaliation. Press freedom cannot exist where journalists are punished for telling the truth.
