DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Family members, attorneys, lawmakers and First Amendment advocates gather at the State Capitol to demand the release of local Hispanic journalist, Mario Guevara, who remains in immigration custody.
“With every day that passes, we’re losing time that we’ll never get back. The pain we feel is indescribable,” said Mario Guevarra’s daughter, Katherine. “Since he’s been detained, our family has felt an emptiness that we cannot begin to fill. My mom is exhausted. My brothers and I feel like we’re stuck in a nightmare.”
Guevara was arrested while covering an immigration protest in DeKalb County in June, but following a review, local prosecutors dropped the charges against him. An immigration judge granted bond for Guevara earlier this month, but ICE lawyers have appealed, so he remains in custody in South Georgia.
A spokesperson for ICE declined to comment.
Attorneys for Guevara say they are confident that an appeal will ultimately be in their favor, but they are vowing to take legal action if necessary.
Guevara’s daughter, Katherine, vows to continue pushing for his release. “He belongs home with us, and we won’t stop fighting until he is.”
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin released the following statement:
“The facts of this case have not changed Mario Guevara is in the country illegally. Following Mario Guevara’s arrest by local authorities for willful obstruction of law enforcement, ICE placed a detainer on him. He was then turned over to ICE custody and has been placed in removal proceedings. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.”
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