ICE arrests Spanish-language news reporter in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A reporter for a Spanish-language media outlet in Tennessee who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not served with a warrant when she was arrested this week, according to court documents filed by her attorney.

Estefany Rodriguez Florez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias who has written articles critical of ICE, was arrested Wednesday during a traffic stop, according to documents filed in federal court in Nashville. His lawyer requested his immediate release, but ICE asked the judge to deny that request.

Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the United States legally and has lived in the country for five years, according to court records filed by her attorney. She has a valid work permit and has requested political asylum and legal status through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen.

Rodriguez said she left Colombia after receiving death threats for her coverage of crime in the region, according to a statement from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The association said it “denounces immigration tactics that involve detaining journalists and any attempts to interfere with media coverage of immigration measures.”

Rodriguez was with her husband in a vehicle marked Nashville Noticias when it was surrounded by several other vehicles and she was taken to a detention center, the outlet said in a statement.

A filing Friday by an ICE attorney said an arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez on Monday and that his visa allowing him to stay in the United States had expired. The filing says his arrest and detention “does not constitute a violation of any law or regulation.” ICE spokeswoman Melissa Egan said Rodriguez was arrested during a “targeted enforcement operation” and will remain in custody while her case moves through court.

Court documents filed by Rodriguez’s attorney indicate that her attorney, Joel Coxander, spoke to an ICE agent who indicated there was no warrant for her arrest at the time of her arrest. When she was arrested, Rodriguez was only given an immigration document telling her to report to ICE, according to the documents.

Rodriguez’s attorney said in court papers that ICE twice postponed a meeting with Rodriguez about his case, first because the office was closed during a winter storm and the second time because an agent couldn’t find his appointment in the system.

A new meeting was then set for March 17.

Rodriguez joined Nashville Noticias in 2022, covering social, family, health, policing and immigration issues, according to the news outlet’s release.

“She must reunite with her young daughter and her husband to continue her legal proceedings within the framework permitted by law,” the statement said.

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This story has been corrected to show that the reporter’s middle last name is Florez, not Flores, as her lawyers initially said in a court filing.