Dear Friend, 

In June, Mario Guevara was grabbed off the streets of Atlanta for his reporting. In October, after being detained for more than 100 days, he was deported. 

Guevara, a freelance reporter who fled El Salvador, lived and worked in the US legally for over 20 years. He was arrested by ICE officers while broadcasting live on social media for Spanish-language outlet MGNews.

Now, British journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi is in ICE custody in San Francisco, apparently in response to his criticism of the Israeli government. The use of immigration enforcement by the US government to quash dissent is not only wrong, it’s unconstitutional. For the last century, PEN America has fought to protect writers all over the world: poets, essayists, novelists, songwriters, and journalists whose words were treated as crimes. Now, we’re fighting here at home. 

Authoritarians win by muzzling those who speak truth to power. And we do everything in our power to keep writers writing:

• Equipping journalists to know their rights
• Protecting writers threatened online and in person with safety resources, consultations, and emergency funds
• Mobilizing the literary community to advocate collectively—signing letters, pressing government officials, and amplifying voices through media campaigns
• Mounting legal challenges through amicus briefs and lawsuits against unconstitutional restrictions to speech

Stand up for the freedom to read, write, and speak. We need your support. Make your first donation today. 

PEN America
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
United States 
PEN America- Washington, DC:
1100 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC xxxxxx
PEN America- Los Angeles:
1370 N. Saint Andrews Place, Los Angeles, CA 90028

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