He left Mexico in 2008 to escape death threats linked to his reporting for El Diario Del Noroeste on crimes carried out by members of the military in his home state of Chihuahua. Throughout his 30-year journalism career, he has worked as both a daily print and radio reporter and magazine editor, covering everything from crime to politics to the arts. In December 2017, a decade after living in New Mexico and awaiting a decision on his pending asylum case, Gutiérrez and his son were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency following a regular mandatory check-in. He was held for eight months until his release in July 2018. He will study issues related to safety and freedom of journalists as a Knight-Wallace Fellow while his case remains open.