ICE cancels a Nashville reporter’s meeting, says she’s in the clear. Then arrests her weeks later

Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez, who is known for covering ICE activities, was arrested and detained by immigration agents without a warrant. She is now separated from her young daughter and her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. Her immigration legal team has raised serious concerns about how the arrest happened.

According to Mediaite, Rodríguez was driving with her husband in South Nashville when agents stopped and detained her. She claims that instead of being shown an arrest warrant, agents presented her with a Notice To Appear (NTA). ICE officials told her legal team that her arrest was due to her missing two meetings with ICE, and that she was considered a flight risk.

However, her immigration attorney, Joel Coxander, gave a different account. He explained that Rodríguez received a G-56 letter in late January, which asked her to come to an ICE office for “processing and additional information” and mentioned that an NTA would be issued. Coxander pointed out that these letters are simply “invitations.” He said, “They don’t say they’re required. They say, ‘Come in so we can help ensure the best outcome for your case.’ They cite no legal requirement to come.”

The confusion over ICE meetings shows how the immigration system can work against people trying to follow the rules

Rodríguez fled Colombia in 2021 after receiving death threats related to her journalism work. She entered the U.S. legally on a tourist visa and applied for political asylum. Her first missed ICE meeting happened because an ice storm forced the office to close. ICE’s conduct in cases like hers has drawn increasing scrutiny, with past ICE operations resulting in fatal shootings raising further questions about the agency’s methods.

The situation around the second appointment became even more confusing. Rodríguez’s husband and an agent from Coxander’s office went to the ICE office to confirm the details. A duty officer ran her Alien Registration Number and told them she was not in the system and did not need to show up for the February appointment.

Adding to the confusion, another agent later looked at her information and gave her husband a check-in sheet for a future meeting date in March. These two different responses from ICE officials left Rodríguez and her team with no clear direction on what she was supposed to do.

Coxander summed up the situation, saying, “She’s being told, ‘We’re holding it against you that you didn’t do this thing we told you you didn’t have to do.'” He also stressed that Rodríguez has “been trying to follow the rules the whole time.” Rodríguez’s case echoes other high-profile ICE incidents, such as when a woman injured by ICE agents faced arrest at the State of the Union after being invited by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

Nashville Noticias released a statement on Thursday saying they hope for a quick resolution and that Rodríguez will “reunite with her young daughter and husband.” The company said it respects U.S. laws and expressed trust in the American justice system. As of Thursday, Rodríguez was in Alabama, on her way to an ICE processing center in Louisiana.