Even though charges were dismissed against reporter Manuel Duran for refusing an order to clear out during a protect over the jailing of undocumented immigrants, he was transferred to a jail run by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). And there he has remained since April 3. Ten years ago Duran fled El Salvador out of concern for his safety and ended up in Memphis working for Las Noticias. His supporters claim he has been singled out for his critical coverage of ICE in violation of his free press rights. (Freedom of the Press Foundation, May 22, 2018 , by Camille Fasett)
Duran’s attorney, Michelle Lapointe of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said, “He’s specifically written about collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE; he’s specifically written about police misconduct and allegations of police mishandling certain cases, so he was well known to the Memphis police and Shelby County sheriff’s department …” Lapointe said there was no warrant in his case and no probable cause to arrest him. (USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee, April 17, 2018, by Tonyaa Weathersbee)