US EditionSpanish-language reporter in Tennessee is released from immigration detention on bond
Estefany Rodríguez was detained over two weeks after a traffic stop and released on $10,000 bond amid claims of retaliation for her critical reporting on ICE.
- On March 19, 2026, Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, Nashville Noticias reporter, was released after 16 days in ICE custody on a $10,000 bond, returning to Nashville.
- A Nashville Noticias reporter, Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, was arrested March 4 during a traffic stop while reporting and transferred from Etowah County, Alabama, to Louisiana on March 12.
- Court filings allege Rodríguez was held in isolation for about five days, forced to strip, exposed to a chemical burning her eyes, and denied timely attorney access.
- On Monday, an immigration judge in Louisiana set a $10,000 bond, allowing her to leave custody as her habeas case continues before Eli Richardson, and she will soon reunite with her husband.
- Press groups warned the detention could chill reporting by non‑citizen journalists, with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Committee to Protect Journalists citing Mario Guevara's deportation and nationwide immigration enforcement actions.
47 Articles
47 Articles
National Press Club statement on the release of Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez on bond
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today on release of Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez Thursday evening on bond.
Nashville journalist released on bond from ICE custody; a legal challenge to her arrest continues
Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville journalist who reported on local immigration enforcement arrests before she herself was detained, was released Thursday from a Louisiana detention center, according to the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, which is providing legal representation. Rodríguez…
The Straits Times
The Star Kuala LumpurNashville reporter arrested by US ICE has been released, her legal team says
WASHINGTON, March 19 - A Colombian reporter working for a Spanish-language news outlet who was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nashville in early March was released from custody on Thursday, her legal team said. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Unjustly Detained: ICE and the Journalist's Fight for Freedom
Unjustly Detained: ICE and the Journalist's Fight for Freedom Estefany Maria Rodriguez Florez, a Colombian journalist for Nashville Noticias, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early March. Her imprisonment sparked outrage among human rights groups, citing concerns over press freedom and fair immigration practices.Rodriguez Florez, who has lived in the U.S. for five years and frequently reports on ICE-related issues, spe…
Rodríguez's case is faced with growing questioning about migration policies and according to organizations, its impact on press freedom
A Colombian reporter based in Nashville was released on bail Thursday from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after her arrest earlier this month.
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