Journalist from Mexico Denied Entry to U.S. for Washington Press Event CBS News
go to original September 15, 2017

Matin Mendez Pineda (Carlos Spector)

A well-known journalist from Mexico was denied entry to the United States this week to be a panelist at a journalism event in Washington, D.C., according to Reporters Without Borders, in a case that calls out America's "once-high post as a beacon of press freedom."

Martin Mendez Pineda, 26, was scheduled to be at the "Press Freedom: Lessons Learned From Around The World" panel discussion hosted by Digital Content Next in partnership with the Newseum and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday. Those on the panel were to describe the dangerous conditions under which they work to cover news in their country.

Mendez spoke to RSF and said, "I am angry and disappointed that I was not able to attend the events with everyone in Washington D.C. this week."

He's a former reporter for "Novedades Acapulco" in Guerrero, Mexico, where he received threats after writing a story about local police violence, RSF reports. Mendez tried to seek asylum in America earlier this year, but was unsuccessful.

RSF writes that Mendez filed a legal application at the U.S. border on Feb. 5, but was immediately taken into detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite passing his credible fear interview on March 1, he was twice denied a request for parole pending his asylum determination and remained in detention at various ICE facilities for more than three months. Due to the deplorable conditions of his detention and concerns for his health, Mendez ultimately decided to withdraw his asylum request and returned to Mexico, though he remains in hiding to this day.

"I was very much looking forward to sharing my experiences as a journalist in Mexico and as someone whose threat to safety has been ignored by the United States Immigration officials," Mendez told RSF.

Read the rest at CBS News

Related: Mexican Teacher Barred from Travelling to US to Collect Internet Society Award (The Guardian)

Related: Mexico Facing Near Record Journalist Deaths This Year (MediaFile)

Related: In a Land Where Drugs Rule, Mexican Journalism Is a Dangerous Trade (The Globe and Mail)

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