Mario’s First Amendment
Mario Guevara had a camera. C Am G G+
Peaceful demonstration going wrong. C Am Gm Gdim
Immigration agents, people on the pavement, Fmaj7 Fm
In a freedom-loving nation don’t belong. D7 G
Mario Guevara was arrested, C Am G G+
Press credentials on his chest, C Am Gm Gdim
Recording what he saw, quite within the law, Fmaj7 Fm
Doing just what he does best. D7 G
Doing what a journalist should do. F Fm C B7 A7
He’s got a first amendment point of view. D7 G C
C-Am-F-G (2)
Twenty years ago he saw this happen, C Am G G+
The time that he escaped El Salvador. C Am Gm Gdim
Their freedom of the press wasn’t a success. Fmaj7 Fm
Real freedom needed something more. D7 G
Now, Mario is authorized to be here. C Am G G+
And authorized to be reporting, too. C Am Gm Gdim
Judge ordered his release, but the ICE police Fmaj7 Fm
Are doing what they want to do. D7 G
They’ve turned it into quite a zoo. F Fm C B7 A7
But he’s got a first amendment point of view. D7 G C
They say they’re keeping him in jail for his protection, F Fm C
He’s safer there from you and me. F Fm C
While they hide behind a mask, E7
Don’t even let you ask. Am
Afraid of negativity! D7 G7 G+
Mario Guevara’s got an Emmy. C Am G G+
Our only journalist in custody. C Am Gm Gdim
I’m one of millions in the States, Fmaj7
Who eagerly awaits. Fm
Is America still free? D7 G
Is The Constitution coming through? F Fm C B7 A7
I’m writing to my senators, and you can, too, F Fm C B7 A7
If you’ve got a first amendment point of view D7 G C
©Doug Hendren 2025
What’s it about? Mario Guevara is an independent journalist. He and his family entered the US legally in 2004, when he fled El Salvador due to political persecution. He has worked as a journalist since that time, frequently reporting on the topic of immigration in Atlanta. He has won Emmy and other awards for his journalism.
Mario was arrested during his coverage of a No Kings protest in Atlanta in June 2025, on charges that were dropped. Despite an immigration judge’s order that he be released, ICE kept him in custody, frequently in solitary confinement, for over three months. Although Mario had a work visa, and a pending green card application, he was deported in pre-dawn hours of October 3rd.
Mario’s case has been followed by many, in particular because of his news coverage about immigration raids.
This prize-winning reporter is the only known journalist detained in the United States. If the past is any guide, he will not be the last. Numerous organizations have denounced his detention and deportation as political censorship, and a direct attack on Freedom of the Press. When will we stand up to this danger, if not in the present moment?
REFERENCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Guevara_(journalist)
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/03/journalist-mario-guevara-ice-deportation
