NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Nashville journalist is in federal custody after being detained by immigration agents earlier this week, a case her attorneys say stems from confusion surrounding immigration appointments.

Estefany Rodríguez Flores, a reporter with Nashville Noticias and Univision 42, was arrested Wednesday morning outside a gym on Murfreesboro Pike, according to her attorneys.

Her husband, Alejandro Medina III, said the couple was sitting in a marked Nashville Noticias vehicle when multiple agents surrounded them.

“Eight-armed agents surrounded us and arrested my wife,” Medina said.

Medina said agents appeared to know personal details about the couple.

“They knew I was a citizen, they knew she was my wife, and they knew several details that make it clear that this was not a coincidence, but an operation directed at my wife,” he said.ICE says missed interviews made her a flight risk

Rodríguez’s immigration attorney, Joel Coxander (Sanderson) with Mira Legal, said ICE told them she was detained because she missed two immigration interviews, which the agency says made her a flight risk.

But Sanderson says the situation is more complicated.

“She was prepared with documents to go to ICE last Wednesday and only didn’t attend at ICE’s direction,” Sanderson said during a Thursday press conference.

According to Sanderson, the first contact Rodríguez had with ICE came Jan. 8, when she received a G-56 letter asking her to come to the agency’s office for “processing and additional information” on Jan. 26.

The letter indicated she could receive a Notice to Appear, the official document that begins immigration court proceedings.

Her legal team says they prepared documents and planned to attend that appointment, but the meeting coincided with January’s winter storm in Nashville, when travel conditions were dangerous and the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office was closed.

Rodríguez later received a new notice scheduling the appointment for Feb. 25.

Two days before that appointment, Medina and a member of Sanderson’s legal team visited the ICE office to confirm whether Rodríguez needed to attend.

Sanderson said officers told them they could not find the appointment in their system.

“The ICE officer said that Ms. Rodriguez’s interview did not appear in their system, and instead she should come to ICE on March 17th to resolve the confusion,” Sanderson said.

According to her legal team, officers provided a check-in sheet with the March 17 date.

Rodríguez was arrested before that scheduled check-in could take place.

Immigration background

Sanderson said Rodríguez entered the United States legally on a tourist visa from Colombia in March 2021.

Since then, he said, she married a U.S. citizen who is sponsoring her for a green card.

Her legal team also says she has a pending political asylum application based on her work as a journalist in Colombia. According to Sanderson, Rodríguez reported on armed and militant groups and received threats prior to leaving the country.

Her attorney said he has seen evidence of threats, including text messages, and that she filed a police report before coming to the United States.

For safety reasons, Sanderson said some of the journalist’s reporting in Colombia has been removed from the internet.

Sanderson adds Rodríguez has never been in trouble with the law.

Mayor raises concerns about enforcement

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell addressed the situation during a roundtable presser Friday, saying the case raises concerns about federal immigration enforcement practices.

“We’ve continued to share our concerns about the way this activity is happening,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell said Rodríguez’s situation highlights broader questions about immigration enforcement.

“I think Estefany’s case is yet another example of how this is not about dangerous criminals or even actual legal status, because she has been in a process of asylum review,” he said. “That is absolutely highlighting why some of the federal policy approaches are not right for Tennesseans, and they’re certainly not right for Nashville.”

The mayor also acknowledged that local leaders have limited authority over federal immigration enforcement.

ICE response pending

FOX 17 News reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to confirm details about the appointments and clarify whether attendance was mandatory. They gave us the following statement on Friday evening.

“ICE arrested Estefany Rodriguez-Florez, an illegal alien from Colombia, March 4 during a targeted enforcement operation. Rodriguez-Florez entered the United States with a tourist visa March 10, 2021, which was valid until March 23, 2021. She failed to depart the country and is in violation of the conditions of her visa and currently has no lawful immigration status. She will remain in ICE custody pending her immigration proceedings.

Claims that ICE did not have a warrant are false. ICE officers had an administrative warrant at the time of the arrest and the officers issuing administrative warrants have found probable cause to issue the warrant. For decades, the Supreme Court and Congress have recognized the propriety of administrative warrants in cases of immigration enforcement.

All individuals who violate U.S. immigration law are subject to arrest and detention, regardless of their criminal histories.”

Rodríguez remains in federal custody. Her attorneys say they have filed a petition seeking an immediate review to determine whether her detention is lawful. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has also filed a petition, and a bond motion has been filed with the immigration court.

Nashville Noticias released a statement on her arrest:

Nashville Noticias LLC expresses its respect for the laws of the United States and hopes that this situation will be resolved favorably for our colleague so that she can be released soon, as she needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law. Her legal team at MIRA Legal, as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC), are providing legal representation in the case and will have details on the progress and responses from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Federal Court.