(WASHINGTON) – PEN America expressed outrage at the deportation of journalist Mario Guevara to El Salvador, a country he fled 20 years ago because of threats tied to his reporting. Guevara is the only reporter known to be removed from the United States after an arrest stemming from his work, which focused on covering immigration issues and the Latino community. While he was initially arrested for stepping into a street while covering a protest in June, all criminal charges against him were quickly dismissed. Despite an immigration judge granting his release on bond and despite him having work authorization when he was arrested, federal authorities kept him in detention and ultimately deported him.
“Mario Guevara’s deportation will be remembered as a grave betrayal of America’s principles of due process and press freedom. Guevara is the only reporter known to be removed from the country after an arrest stemming from his work,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at PEN America. “In an extraordinary assault on the First Amendment, his detention and deportation was never about immigration violations or criminal activity, but was in retaliation for his reporting. Sending him back to El Salvador—the country he fled 20 years ago because of threats tied to his journalism—could put him at risk.
“This case delivers a chilling warning to independent journalists in the U.S. and globally: the U.S. will no longer provide safe haven to journalists who as a result of exposing abuses of power are forced to flee their home countries, and may go so far as to punish them further. Guevara’s deportation must also be seen in the broader context of escalating efforts by the U.S. government to suppress an independent media , which in recent weeks have included punitive lawsuits, regulatory pressure, and demands that reporters covering the Pentagon sign restrictive pledges limiting what they can publish. Now, with outright detention and exile, the federal government has crossed a perilous new line.
“Every American who values free speech should raise their voice, contact their representatives, and demand that no journalist be detained, deported, or silenced for doing their job.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 929-383-1856