ICE Arrests Nashville Journalist Estefany Rodriguez Flores Without Warrant

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Estefany Rodriguez Flores, a reporter for Nashville Noticias, during a traffic stop on March 4, 2026, in South Nashville. The arrest occurred without a warrant, according to a petition filed by her attorneys as reported by USA Today.

Details of the Arrest

Rodriguez Flores, a Colombian citizen, has lived in the United States for five years and entered the country legally on a tourist visa in March 2021 according to court records. She has a valid work permit and has pending applications for both a green card and asylum through her U.S. Citizen husband .

The journalist was with her husband in a vehicle marked with the Nashville Noticias logo when it was surrounded by multiple vehicles, and she was subsequently taken into custody as reported by WZTV. She was transported to an ICE detention center and remained in custody as of March 5, 2026 according to HuffPost.

Conflicting Reports on Warrant

Rodriguez Flores’ attorneys assert that she was not shown an arrest warrant, only an immigration document requesting her to report to ICE . An ICE agent reportedly indicated there was no warrant at the time of the arrest . However, an ICE court filing claims a valid arrest warrant was issued on Monday, March 2, 2026, and that Rodriguez Flores’ visa had expired .

Previous Scheduled Meeting and Reporting

Rodriguez Flores had a scheduled meeting with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations on March 17, 2026 . Prior meetings were rescheduled twice: once due to Winter Storm Fern closing the ICE office in January, and again because an agent could not locate the appointment in the system .

Rodriguez Flores frequently reports on stories critical of ICE for Nashville Noticias, a Spanish-language news outlet as noted by HuffPost. She joined the outlet in 2022 and covers a range of issues including social, family, health, police, and immigration .

Response from Nashville Noticias

Nashville Noticias expressed hope for a favorable resolution to the situation, emphasizing the need for Rodriguez Flores to reunite with her family and continue her legal process . Her legal team, MIRA Legal and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, are representing her and will provide updates on the case .

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson has directed federal immigration officials to provide a preliminary response to the emergency petition by Friday, March 6, 2026 .