ICE could deport Atlanta-based Hispanic reporter arrested Saturday

<p><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/BXYYFAI5GRC6ZK7HWTIYUILJ7U.jpg?auth=6a92…; alt="BXYYFAI5GRC6ZK7HWTIYUILJ7U.jpg?auth=6a92"></p><div><p>The fact that an ICE detainer has been issued in Guevara’s case means that the federal government believes that the El Salvador native can be deported.</p><p>ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><p>Guevara was one of eight people arrested Saturday at DeKalb County protest targeting President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement. He was there to cover the rally, livestreaming the event for a social media audience that exceeds 1 million people.</p><p>Online <a href="https://portal-gadekalb.tylertech.cloud/app/ViewJailing/#/jailing/15294… records show Guevara</a> was arrested by the Doraville Police Department and charged with obstruction of law enforcement, unlawful assembly, and pedestrian walking on or along a roadway. </p><p>On Monday, Guevara’s attorneys successfully petitioned DeKalb County Magistrate Court for a bond, then learned of the ICE detainer which prevents him from being released.</p><p>Attorney Giovanni Diaz said that Guevara lacks permanent legal status, although he has work authorization and a path to a green card through his U.S. citizen son. </p><p>“You can imagine with this administration, they always reserve the right to put an ICE hold on anybody that is technically not a legal permanent resident, regardless of whether or not they have work authorization,” Diaz said. </p><p>The developments show Guevara was taking extraordinary risks as he crisscrossed the metro area to document immigration raids close up. </p><p>“My lawyers are asking me to tone it down, to not be so aggressive,” Guevara told the AJC in an interview about his work earlier this spring. “I’m acting as if I were a citizen … but I’m not scared.”</p><p>ICE detainers are not warrants, and individual jails can decide not to honor them, and release immigrant detainees before the 48 hours requested by ICE are up.</p><p>In the past, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has taken steps <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/dekalb-jail-won… limit their compliance with ICE detainers</a> under certain conditions. </p><p>But Diaz says DeKalb authorities may choose to keep Guevara behind bars long enough for him to be transferred to ICE detention, where he could face deportation. </p><p>“The clock is running,” he said. “We have to be prepared for the possibility that he will end up with ICE.”</p><p>The AJC has reached out to the DeKalb County’s Sheriff’s Office to ask whether it plans to keep Guevara in custody at ICE’s request.</p></div>