Reporter's Arrest Sparks Fear Among Immigrant Journalists

Veteran reporter Mario Guevara’s detention after livestreaming an ICE protest tests America’s commitment to a free press — and alarms watchdogs about a new chilling effect.

WASHINGTON — The arrest of veteran Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara during a protest in Georgia earlier this month has sparked an outcry from press freedom advocates, who say the move sets an “alarming precedent” for immigrant journalists working in the United States.

Guevara, a Spanish-language reporter with a decades-long track record covering immigrant communities in metro Atlanta, was taken into custody on June 14 while livestreaming a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Though he wore a press vest and identified himself as a journalist, Guevara was arrested by local police for alleged unlawful assembly and obstruction of officers. He is now being held by ICE.

"I'm a member of the media, officer," Guevara can be heard saying in the livestream, moments before law enforcement officers detain him. The video shows his phone falling to the pavement and an officer picking it up at his request as he is led away in handcuffs and placed in a vehicle (NPR, June 24, 2…