NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee who contends she was wrongly held in detention for more than two weeks was released Thursday after paying a bond recently allowed by a judge, her attorneys said.
Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been in ICE custody after her arrest on March 4 during a traffic stop. She was held in jail in Etowah County, Alabama, then in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.
“We are grateful that Estefany is able to walk away with her freedom to be with her family as she continues to fight for her right to remain in her community and in the US,” Mike Holley, an attorney for Rodríguez, said in a statement.
Rodríguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S. lawfully and has been living in the country for the past five years, according to court records filed by her lawyer. She has a valid work permit and has applied for political asylum and legal status through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. She had no criminal history and a steady employment record, along with a 7-year-old daughter at home, her attorneys stated.
In a wrongful detention court challenge aided by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Rodríguez’s attorneys argue she was targeted because her reporting has been critical of ICE’s practices under President Donald Trump’s administration. They contend her First Amendment rights and Fifth Amendment due process rights were violated, while the government claims no such violation occurred, arguing that First Amendment rights “may not even be applicable to an illegal alien.”
An immigration judge in Louisiana set a $10,000 bond for her release on Monday. Holley stated they plan to continue the wrongful detention case, advocating for her full release and an order preventing ICE from mistreating her in the future.
Rodríguez had applied for asylum before her visa expired in September 2021, remaining in the country due to fears of persecution in Colombia. Her attorney's filings indicate her arrest involved a warrantless seizure, allegedly violating the Fourth Amendment. They argued the purported arrest warrant had issues with validity.
Rodríguez's arrest involved her being taken from a Nashville Noticias vehicle, where she was surrounded by several other vehicles. Her legal team highlighted that it took more than 10 days before she could speak with them, raising concerns about journalist safety and freedom.
In the aftermath, press associations warned that the detention of non-citizen journalists could chill free speech, especially for those covering sensitive topics. After her initial detainment in Alabama, where she faced isolation and mistreatment, she was moved to Louisiana, where she remained until her release.
Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been in ICE custody after her arrest on March 4 during a traffic stop. She was held in jail in Etowah County, Alabama, then in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.
“We are grateful that Estefany is able to walk away with her freedom to be with her family as she continues to fight for her right to remain in her community and in the US,” Mike Holley, an attorney for Rodríguez, said in a statement.
Rodríguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S. lawfully and has been living in the country for the past five years, according to court records filed by her lawyer. She has a valid work permit and has applied for political asylum and legal status through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. She had no criminal history and a steady employment record, along with a 7-year-old daughter at home, her attorneys stated.
In a wrongful detention court challenge aided by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Rodríguez’s attorneys argue she was targeted because her reporting has been critical of ICE’s practices under President Donald Trump’s administration. They contend her First Amendment rights and Fifth Amendment due process rights were violated, while the government claims no such violation occurred, arguing that First Amendment rights “may not even be applicable to an illegal alien.”
An immigration judge in Louisiana set a $10,000 bond for her release on Monday. Holley stated they plan to continue the wrongful detention case, advocating for her full release and an order preventing ICE from mistreating her in the future.
Rodríguez had applied for asylum before her visa expired in September 2021, remaining in the country due to fears of persecution in Colombia. Her attorney's filings indicate her arrest involved a warrantless seizure, allegedly violating the Fourth Amendment. They argued the purported arrest warrant had issues with validity.
Rodríguez's arrest involved her being taken from a Nashville Noticias vehicle, where she was surrounded by several other vehicles. Her legal team highlighted that it took more than 10 days before she could speak with them, raising concerns about journalist safety and freedom.
In the aftermath, press associations warned that the detention of non-citizen journalists could chill free speech, especially for those covering sensitive topics. After her initial detainment in Alabama, where she faced isolation and mistreatment, she was moved to Louisiana, where she remained until her release.
