Nashville Notícias reporter Estefany Rodríguez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on March 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, despite being in the United States legally, according to news reports.
At the time of her arrest, Rodríguez was not presented with a warrant, and ICE officials have alleged that there was a warrant out for her arrest in a March 7 post on the X social media platform. She was detained in her car marked with “Nashville Notícias” branding, and in the company of her husband, a U.S. citizen.
Rodríguez arrived in the U.S. from her native Colombia in 2021 to seek asylum after facing death threats in connection with her reporting. She has a pending green card application through her husband and an open asylum case.
In a habeas petition reviewed by CPJ, Rodríguez’s lawyers have argued that her detention is a violation of her First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, and included the argument that her detention was in relation to her coverage of ICE actions in the United States.
According to the Nashville Banner, Rodríguez was transported to a detention center and scheduled to be transferred to an ICE processing center in Louisiana. On March 10, 2026, Rodríguez was in detention at the Etowah County Jail in Gadsden, Alabama.
In an emailed response to CPJ’s request for comment, a DHS spokesperson falsely said, “A pending green card application and work authorization does NOT give someone legal status to be in our country. Being in detention is a choice.” Work authorization allows an individual to work legally in the United States, according to U.S. immigration law.
Rodríguez was released from ICE custody on March 19, 2026, on a $10,000 bond after spending over two weeks in law enforcement custody.
Her habeas petition was still pending at the time of her release, according to court records reviewed by CPJ.
In response to Rodriguez’s detention, CPJ issued statements calling for her release, led with Free Press a coalition statement with over 40 organizations, and joined an amicus brief from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Rodriguez’s habeas case, in addition to advocacy outreach.