Charges against a Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest in metro Atlanta earlier this month have been dropped, though he continues to face potential deportation.
Mario Guevara, who is originally from El Salvador, was arrested at a June 14 protest held to demonstrate opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He was charged with unlawful assembly, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and improperly entering a roadway, all of which are misdemeanors.
DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling announced Wednesday that her office has dismissed those charges.
A review of the video evidence showed that Guevara was generally in compliance with the directives of law enforcement agencies at the protest and did not appear to intend to disregard any of those directives, according to a press release from Coleman-Stribling’s office.
“After carefully reviewing the evidence, including video evidence surrounding his arrest, I have determined that while there was probable cause to support the initial arrest, the evidence is insufficient to sustain a prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said in a statement.
Guevara was wearing a vest marking him as a member of the press when he was arrested. He can also be heard on his livestream of the protest identifying himself as a reporter to law enforcement.
Guevara’s arrest and detainment has alarmed First Amendment defenders. The Committee to Protect Journalists and other free press advocates sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging her to facilitate Guevara’s release.
Guevara has lived in the U.S. for about 20 years. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that Guevara has work authorization and the ability to gain a green card through his son, who is a U.S. citizen, but Guevara does not have permanent legal status here.
He is currently being held at the Folkston Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in South Georgia.
“This El Salvador national is in ICE custody because he entered the country illegally in 2004,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.
In the same statement, McLaughlin encouraged anyone here illegally to “take control of their departure.” The Trump administration is offering people $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport.
Guevara’s attorney did not respond to a message seeking comment Thursday. But the attorney, Giovanni Díaz, told Atlanta Civic Circle that he is optimistic Guevara will secure a bond when he appears before a federal immigration judge for a hearing set for Tuesday.
Diaz also told Atlanta Civic Circle that he is trying to get additional unrelated charges in Gwinnett County dismissed. Guevara was charged with distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving while filming ICE activity there, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Guevara was one of 29 people arrested at the DeKalb County protest on June 14.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson issued the findings from an internal review done on the handling of the protest. She noted the protest was one of three held that day in DeKalb County as thousands of Georgians turned out for “No Kings” events, though the protest where Guevara and others were arrested was not affiliated with the national movement.
“We’ve heard from residents over the past week, especially members of our immigrant community, who are hurt, angry, and scared,” Cochran-Johnson said in a statement. “I want to acknowledge that pain. The right to protest, to speak out, and to be treated with dignity. In DeKalb County, we remain deeply committed to those values.”
