From the ICE detention center in Folkston, Georgia, Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara shared a message for his MG News followers that gives a raw insight into how migrants live in U.S. government custody. Guevara, arrested last June 14 during a peaceful protest in Atlanta, has been detained for more than a month now, with no resolution of his immigration status so far.
In his message, Mario Guevara thanks the community for the support, prayers and solidarity shown to his family. But he also denounces what he experienced during his first 48 hours in the federal prison in Atlanta, where he was the victim of threats and extortion. According to him, his family had to pay $120 dollars to protect him from a possible attack. “Thank God I was spared from this,” he wrote.
Extreme conditions in punishment cells
The journalist describes his current confinement as a profoundly harsh experience.
ICE holds him in a punishment cell less than 8 feet by 12 feet, with no contact with the outside except for a tiny window.
“They only let me go out for two hours a day to see the sun and breathe fresh air,” he says.
The rest of the time he remains in isolation.
Mario Guevara affirms that, despite the conditions, he maintains his faith and hope.
“I feel a confidence in God that at least I’m safe,” he says.
Every day he asks for strength and trusts in a favorable response from the justice system.
His legal team, led by the law firm Diaz & Gaeta, is working hard to secure his release.
Legal change and political pressure
Mario Guevara’s situation occurs in a national context of tightening immigration policies since the return of Donald Trump to the presidency.
The journalist points out that the legal environment has changed drastically, and now even those who have been living in the U.S. for years face legal surprises and arbitrary detentions.
Their testimony highlights not only the precarious conditions inside the detention centers, but also the emotional and psychological damage suffered by the people held there.
The Latino community in the U.S. has reacted with indignation to these cases, demanding justice and humane conditions for all detainees, regardless of their immigration status.
A call for solidarity
Mario Guevara ends his message through MG News asking the community not to stop praying for him and for all those who, like him, have been deprived of their freedom without a clear resolution.
God willing, I will be back on the streets serving you, doing my job of informing
Mario Guevara
In the meantime, he remains in a punishment cell, waiting for his case to move forward in immigration court, and clinging to the faith and support of a community that has not forgotten him.
If you wish to support Mario Guevara, visit the GoFundMe page that his son Oscar Guevara opened for him.
