Journalist Estefany Rodríguez, who has reported on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations for Nashville Noticias, was detained by ICE agents in Nashville, Tennessee, while inside a vehicle clearly marked with her media outlet’s branding, according to multiple reports.
Rodríguez had been covering immigration enforcement activity as part of her reporting. Her detention has raised serious concerns among press freedom advocates, particularly given her work documenting ICE operations.
CPJ has highlighted that Rodríguez fled Colombia in 2021 after receiving death threats linked to her journalism and was living legally in the United States at the time of her detention, with both an asylum case and a residency application pending through her husband.
Authorities transported Rodríguez to a detention facility, and she was later transferred to an ICE processing center in Louisiana, according to reports.
Her case has drawn comparisons to other incidents involving journalists detained or deported despite having legal status, including that of Atlanta-based reporter Mario Guevara, raising broader concerns about the use of immigration enforcement measures against members of the press.
Free Press Alliance strongly condemns the detention of Estefany Rodríguez and the growing use of immigration enforcement mechanisms to target journalists. Arresting a reporter who was lawfully present in the country and actively covering matters of public interest represents a serious threat to press freedom and democratic accountability. Authorities must immediately ensure her release, guarantee due process, and reaffirm that journalists can report on state institutions without fear of retaliation or intimidation.