WASHINGTON, March 5 - Lawyers for a local Nashville journalist say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested their client in Nashville without first obtaining an arrest warrant, according to an emergency petition filed in federal court. The petition states the reporter, named as Estefany Maria Rodriguez Flores, was transported to an ICE detention center and remains in custody.
The complaint, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, describes Rodriguez Flores as originally from Colombia who has lived in the United States for five years and regularly covers stories critical of ICE. The filing says she was detained on Wednesday while with her husband outside a gym, after the vehicle they were in - a car bearing the Nashville Noticias emblem - was surrounded and she was taken into custody.
ICE did not provide a comment in response to a request for information, the court filing notes. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson directed federal immigration officials to submit a preliminary response to the emergency petition by Friday.
According to the attorneys, Rodriguez Flores had an upcoming meeting scheduled for March 17 with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The filing details her immigration background, saying she arrived in the United States on a tourist visa, later filed for political asylum, subsequently married a U.S. citizen and holds a valid work permit. She and her husband have also filed paperwork seeking permission to adjust her status to that of a lawful permanent resident.
The petition emphasizes the journalist’s reporting focus, stating she frequently covers stories critical of ICE. The filing asserts the arrest occurred without a warrant, and the emergency nature of the petition reflects the attorneys’ request for swift judicial attention to her detention.
ICE has been central to the immigration policies pursued by President Donald Trump, measures that have prompted criticism from rights groups who argue those policies undermine free speech and due process protections. The filing cites concerns raised by human rights organizations, which contend that recent enforcement actions have increased insecurity for both citizens and immigrants. The petition references two separate fatal shootings in January involving federal agents in Minnesota as part of a broader discussion of the enforcement climate.
The filing also places the detention in a wider context of deaths in ICE custody, stating that at least eight people have died in ICE detention centers since the start of 2026, following at least 31 deaths in the previous year. The petition seeks relief from the court related to Rodriguez Flores’s detention and requests prompt action from federal immigration authorities in response to the allegations raised.
Legal status and next steps:
- The emergency petition was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
- Judge Eli Richardson ordered ICE to provide a preliminary response by Friday.
- Rodriguez Flores has an immigration meeting scheduled for March 17 with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.