Nashville Journalist Detained by ICE, Lawyers Say Arrest Was Warrantless

Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter covering immigration, was taken into custody by federal agents despite having a pending green card application.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 9:04pm

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Last week, Estefany Rodríguez, a journalist based in Nashville, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to her lawyers, she was not shown a warrant at the time of her arrest. The Department of Homeland Security later submitted two different immigration warrants to the court, but Rodríguez's legal team argues that the warrants were either never executed or issued after her arrest, making the detention warrantless. Rodríguez, who is married to an American citizen and has a pending green card application, is now being held in a county jail in Gadsden, Alabama, and is expected to be transferred to a detention center in Louisiana.

Why it matters

This case raises concerns about the treatment of journalists, particularly those covering immigration issues, and the use of warrantless arrests by federal immigration authorities. Rodríguez's detention has sparked outrage from press freedom and human rights groups, who argue that the immigration system is being "weaponized to silence the work of journalists."

The details

Rodríguez was detained by ICE agents last Wednesday as she was being driven by her husband, who was in a car marked with the logo of the Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias, for which Rodríguez works. Her lawyers claim that she was not shown a warrant at the time of her arrest. The Department of Homeland Security later submitted two different immigration warrants to the court, but Rodríguez's legal team argues that the warrants were either never executed or issued after her arrest, making the detention warrantless. Rodríguez is married to an American citizen, has applied for a green card, and has a valid work permit. She first came to the US on a tourist visa and later filed a claim for political asylum.

  • On March 2, the Department of Homeland Security submitted a photo of an immigration warrant to the court.
  • On March 4, the Department of Homeland Security posted a photo of another immigration warrant on X (Twitter).
  • On March 12, a federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate just cause for Rodríguez's detention.
  • On March 16, Rodríguez's lawyers have filed a separate motion in immigration court seeking a bond hearing, which will take place in Louisiana.

The players

Estefany Rodríguez

A journalist based in Nashville who reports on immigration issues for the Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias.

Joel Coxander

A member of Estefany Rodríguez's legal team.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The federal agency that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has argued that Rodríguez has overstayed her visa and denied that she is being targeted because of her journalism.

Justin Mazzola

The deputy director for research at Amnesty International USA, who has called for Rodríguez's urgent release.

Katherine Jacobsen

A program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, who has criticized the administration's attempts to "clamp down on reporting and discourage journalists from covering immigration in their own communities."

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What they’re saying

“Our reply explained that an arrest remains warrantless when the warrant was never executed. The March 2 warrant was not executed because it was never shown or mentioned to Ms. Rodríguez and the certificate of service on the warrant is blank.”

— Joel Coxander, Member of Estefany Rodríguez's legal team

“Ms. Rodríguez must be urgently released and returned to her community and journalism work. The US immigration system must not be weaponized to silence the work of journalists.”

— Justin Mazzola, Deputy director for research at Amnesty International USA

“This administration frequently asks us to not see what is right in front of us. To look at this as something other than an attempt to clamp down on reporting and discourage journalists from covering immigration in their own communities would be to miss the mark entirely.”

— Katherine Jacobsen, Program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists

What’s next

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate just cause for Rodríguez's detention by March 12. Her lawyers have also filed a separate motion in immigration court seeking a bond hearing, which will take place in Louisiana on March 16.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing concerns about the treatment of journalists, particularly those covering immigration issues, and the use of warrantless arrests by federal immigration authorities. It raises questions about the government's efforts to silence reporting on immigration enforcement and the need to protect press freedom and the public's right to information.