FROM THE ACLU: Your immediate help needed: The Trump admin is about to deport a journalist 1OKT25

THE ACLU is asking for our participation in an e mail campaign to ICE Director Todd Lyons asking for Mario Guevara's release from detention and the cancelation of his deportation to El Salvador. Please click the link to participate, my e mail is at the end of this post.....

The Trump administration is about to deport a journalist who livestreams law enforcement activity – and we need your immediate help. Tell ICE Director Todd Lyons to immediately release Mario Guevara from unlawful detention. Take Action Mario is a father and longtime resident of Atlanta, Georgia, where his Emmy-winning Spanish-language coverage of immigration and law enforcement activity has garnered hundreds of thousands of viewers. He was arrested while reporting at a "No Kings" rally in June and then transferred to ICE custody. Even though all charges were dropped, and an immigration judge ordered his release on bond, the Trump administration has refused to release him on the grounds that simply livestreaming and reporting on law enforcement activity – First Amendment-protected activity – is "dangerous." Mario has lived here for over two decades and has a clear legal path to residency through his U.S. citizen son. Nevertheless, the Board of Immigration Appeals has filed a final removal notice and could put him on a plane at any moment and deport him. We're flooding ICE with messages right now urging them to demand Mario's freedom. But a fight this critical will take all of us. Send a message to ICE Director Todd Lyons now. Mario Guevara should be with his family right now – not detained for his lawful journalism and at risk of imminent deportation. This massive violation of the First Amendment must be stopped. Thanks for your action, The ACLU Team

The Trump administration is about to deport a prominent Atlanta journalist, who was arrested for livestreaming police activity during a No Kings protest in June. Even though those charges were quickly dropped, Mario has been held away from his wife and children for months in immigration detention, despite an immigration judge ordering his release. ICE refused to let him pay bond and has kept him in detention by claiming his reporting on immigration and law enforcement is "dangerous." The Board of Immigration Appeals has now reopened his immigration case, which was closed 13 years ago, to issue a final removal order. He could be put on a plane at any moment to El Salvador – a country he fled out of fear due to persecution for his speech.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We can't allow the Trump administration to blatantly retaliate against a journalist for his lawful reporting. Mario should be freed immediately and returned to his family.

MY PERSONALIZED E MAIL TO ICE DIRECTOR TODD LYONS 

 Journalism is not a threat to our community – it's fundamental to our democracy. Yet right now, our government is poised to deport Mario Guevara, who films and reports on immigration and law enforcement activity. It has held him for over 100 days for his expressive activity, which is unacceptable and unconstitutional retaliation. I'm calling on you to do everything in your power to immediately free Mario Guevara.

Mario has lived in the United States for over 20 years. His family is here, and he has a clear legal path to residency through his U.S. citizen son. All criminal charges against him were rightfully dropped, and an immigration court granted him bond. Yet ICE has refused to release him for weeks. And the Board of Immigration Appeals has just issued a final removal notice – and he could be sent to El Salvador, a country he fled out of fear, at any moment.

These are not the actions of a government that cares about people or the Constitution. The attacks on Mario are attacks on journalism as a whole and our right to a free and independent press. His reporting is protected First Amendment activity, and detaining him for his journalism is an egregious attack on our fundamental rights.

As Liz Cheney advised her Republican colleagues in the US House this also applies to you; "Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain,". You do not have to deport Mario Guevara, but if you do your dishonor will follow you the rest of your life.....

Recording immigration and law enforcement activity in public is protected by the First Amendment. Retaliating against a journalist for doing his job is an unconstitutional overstep – and ICE must release Mario Guevara back to his family immediately.

I'm calling on you to do everything in your power to free Mario.

Sincerely,

Craig Schwanke