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Deported hispanic journalist Mario Guevara said he would not cover ICE any more if he is given the chance to return to the United States.
Mario Guevara deported
It has now been more than two weeks since the federal government deported Guevara, a longtime Georgia-based journalist, to his home country of El Salvador.
A judge denied Guevara’s request for a stay of deportation, citing that he did not file the proper immigration paperwork. In an exclusive interview with FOX 5, Guevara said his deportation has torn his family apart, as his wife and children remain in Georgia.
Guevara told FOX 5 he believes his deportation was unfair, saying he was in the U.S. legally on a work visa and had a pathway to citizenship through his U.S.-born son.
His arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was captured on video as he live-streamed the event while reporting. Guevara had been granted bond in July, but ICE appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, asking that his release be placed on hold pending review. The board sided with the government, and Guevara was deported to El Salvador on Oct. 3 after spending more than 100 days in a Georgia ICE detention center.
Despite the ordeal, Guevara said he plans to continue working as a journalist for a local outlet in El Salvador.
Mario Guevara reflects on arrest
“I really feel sad when I see the image you put (of me being arrested). It’s a frustrating moment, but thank you so much for reminding me. It’s part of the reality now,” Guevara said.
He reflected on the moment he was detained while covering an immigration story.
“During almost 22 years, I covered immigration stories, police stories. It never happened, something like that, in my life. I remember very well I was not doing anything different, just regular coverage. But they arrested me and treated me like a criminal. It’s unfair. But unfortunately, I was not a U.S. citizen, and I paid the price.”
Guevara said he still struggles to understand why he was detained.
“I can’t understand why they arrested me because I was legally showing I’m a member of the press. Some of the officers there know me. It’s weird because I had a very good relationship before this incident — with local, state and even federal authorities, even with ICE. I remember I worked with ICE on some stories this year. But it’s weird — I was covering the same story.”
Mario Guevara on ICE treatment
He said his treatment while detained left him disheartened.
“I am a journalist. I was treated like a regular immigrant. I have a work permit for the last two decades, and they literally told me I was another illegal alien. It’s something horrible because even though I received a work permit from the government, they treated me like I don’t have anything. But it’s OK now — I am in my country trying to start from zero. It’s hard because my family is there. My kids don’t want to come to El Salvador to live here; they only want to visit as tourists. That is hard for me because they have a life there, and I don’t want to destroy that. I already caused a lot of pain for my family.”
Mario Guevara on moving forward from deportation
Guevara said he originally fled El Salvador in 2004 seeking safety after being attacked while working for the national newspaper La Prensa Gráfica during demonstrations.
“I left El Salvador in 2004 seeking security and safety for me and my family. I suffered some attacks during demonstrations from people against the government. I moved to the United States, and in 2005 I applied for asylum. Unfortunately, the process was very slow, and my case wasn’t in front of a judge until 2012.”
Now back in El Salvador, Guevara says he hopes for a second chance to reunite with his family in Georgia.
“I am here in my country, trying to have a second opportunity to come back and stay with my family because they don’t want to move to El Salvador, and I don’t want to stay away from them. But I have to wait,” he said. “When they arrested me, they offered me voluntary deportation, but I rejected it because I preferred to fight for my case. That’s why I stayed 111 days in jail. It was not easy — I was in solitary for 72 days. I don’t know why they put me there, but it was horrible.”
Even though he’s free now, Guevara says it doesn’t feel that way.
“I’m free, but sometimes I think it’s probably better to stay in jail because I had the opportunity to see my family every weekend. Now I have to wait until December when my kids can come back again to see me. My daughter and my wife are still in the United States. They can’t come because they have the same work permits as me — if they leave, they’ll never be able to come back. It’s a really hard position.”
Guevara said he remains hopeful he’ll one day be reunited with his family in Georgia, but for now, he is rebuilding his life and career from the ground up.
And if he returns to the U.S., Guevara said he would not cover ICE anymore.
“I will not commit the same mistake again if I return to United States,” he said. “I will never go in behind ICE to cover immigration raids. Nothing like that because I caused a lot of pain.”
