Emilio Gutiérrez Soto (born ) is a U.S.-based Mexican journalist. He formerly worked for '' El Diario de el Noreste''. After reporting on allegations of corruption in the

Mexican Army The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National De ...

and reportedly receiving death threats, Gutiérrez fled to the United States with his son in 2008. He was the recipient of the 2017 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award from the

National Press Club Organizations A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...

. He is a 2018-2019 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, despite being denied asylum on multiple occasions.

Early life and career in Mexico

Gutiérrez was born . He became a reporter for '' El Diario de el Noreste'', for which he wrote articles about allegations of corruption among the

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

Denied asylum in the United States

Gutiérrez reportedly received death threats for his reporting in Mexico and he fled to the United States with his son, where he sought asylum at the

Antelope Wells Port of Entry The Antelope Wells Port of Entry is an international border crossing between Antelope Wells, New Mexico, United States, and El Berrendo, Chihuahua, Mexico. It is one of three border crossings into New Mexico, along with the Columbus Port of Ent ...

on June 16, 2008. In December 2017, Gutiérrez's request for asylum was denied, which is, according to Gutiérrez, almost a death sentence for him. Organizations like

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...

, the

and the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...

vehemently opposed the court's decision. Gutiérrez was sent to a detention facility in

Sierra Blanca, Texas Sierra Blanca is an unincorporated area in Hudspeth County, Texas, United States. It is also the county seat of the county and the namesake of a census-designated place (CDP) in which it is located. The town is part of the Trans-Pecos region of far ...

, during his appeal. Gutiérrez was awarded the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club on December 18, 2017, "on behalf of Mexico's besieged journalists." The ceremony was held remotely, by video conference. He was released from detention with his son in July 2018. In July 2018, Gutiérrez became a Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

for the 2018-2019 academic year. On February 28, 2019, Texas Judge Robert Hough ordered Gutiérrez's deportation once again, arguing the decade-long hiatus since the publication of his articles would protect him. In March 2019, Republican Congressman

Fred Upton Frederick Stephen Upton (born April 23, 1953) is an American politician serving as a U.S. representative from Michigan since 1987, representing the state's 6th congressional district since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. His dist ...

and Democratic Congresswoman

Debbie Dingell Deborah Ann Dingell (; ; November 23, 1953) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has been the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district since 2015. She is the widow of John Dingell, her predecess ...

asked the

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration tha ...

not to deport Gutiérrez in a letter. A few days later, Gutiérrez spoke about his experience at an event on campus in Spanish.

Personal life

Gutiérrez has a son, Oscar (born ).

References

Living people 1960s births Mexican journalists Male journalists 20th-century journalists 21st-century journalists Recipients of John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award {{Mexico-journalist-stub