Journalist Mario Guevara Faces Imminent Deportation, Threatening Press Freedom and Immigrant Rights

Washington, D.C. — Voto Latino strongly condemns the federal court’s decision to deny journalist Mario Guevara’s emergency request to halt deportation proceedings to El Salvador. Guevara has spent more than three months in ICE custody despite the dismissal of criminal charges and having legal authorization to work in the United States.

In response, Voto Latino issued the following statement: 

“Mario Guevara’s case is bigger than one individual. It reflects a troubling pattern in which the Trump Administration retaliates against reporters simply for doing their jobs: seeking and telling the truth. 

By targeting a reporter whose work has consistently shed light on the realities facing immigrant communities, the government is not just threatening his safety, but also eroding one of the most fundamental pillars of our democracy. Freedom of the press is not a privilege, it is a right guaranteed to all. And when it is undermined, every American should be concerned. 

The First Amendment guarantees a free and independent press. If journalists can be silenced or deported for their reporting, we are all at risk—especially immigrant communities who depend on voices like Mario’s to amplify their stories. Voto Latino urges immigration officials and elected leaders to stop Mario Guevara’s deportation and uphold protections for all journalists.”

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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.