A Spanish-speaking reporter who has been critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was snatched during a routine traffic stop by that same agency by agents who didn't have a warrant, according to reports.
Estefany Rodriguez Florez, a Nashville Noticias journalist who'd been producing stories critical of ICE, was surrounded by multiple vehicles and hauled off while sitting in a marked news vehicle with her husband.
The Colombian-born reporter had been living lawfully in the U.S. for five years with a valid work permit. She's applied for political asylum through her U.S. citizen husband and was scheduled to meet with ICE on March 17. Instead, she was fast-tracked for detention.
Her lawyer says no arrest warrant was shown at the scene, only an immigration document. An ICE agent confirmed to Rodriguez's attorney that no warrant existed at the time of her arrest. ICE's legal team now claims a warrant was issued.
"However, a court filing by a lawyer for ICE said a valid arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez on Monday and her visa authorizing her to stay in the US had expired. The filing said her arrest and detention “are not in violation of any laws or regulations.”
ICE spokesperson Melissa Egan called it a "targeted enforcement operation," insisting the arrest and detention violate no laws. Rodriguez's employer and family aren't buying it.