Manuel Durán Ortega
Biography
Manuel Durán Ortega is a Salvadoran journalist with Memphis Noticias. He was arrested while covering a Memphis protest in April 2018 and transferred into ICE detention. His legal team challenged the detention as an attack on press freedom. He was released on July 11, 2019, after 465 days in detention. His lawyers announced an asylum victory in March 2022. He is recorded as a former detainee.
Case history and verification
Manuel Durán Ortega is a Salvadoran journalist with Memphis Noticias. He was arrested while covering a Memphis protest in April 2018 and transferred into ICE detention. His legal team challenged the detention as an attack on press freedom. He was released on July 11, 2019, after 465 days in detention. His lawyers announced an asylum victory in March 2022. He is recorded as a former detainee.
Status reviewed October 8, 2026: Historical case. The profile records the last documented outcome; no current ICE custody is asserted.
Sources
Verified detail sources (October 8, 2026): Detention Watch Network dates the Memphis police arrest to April 3, 2018, and transfer into ICE custody to April 5. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker gives April 3 as the start of detention, with continuous custody until July 11, 2019; April 3 is used for the overall custody episode, not the ICE transfer. Both use he/him. Source 1. Source 2.
Photo source: Committee to Protect Journalists. Screenshot from Memphis Noticias Facebook. Source image reproduced without alteration.
