U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Estefany Rodriguez Florez, a reporter for Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias, during a traffic stop Wednesday in Tennessee. The arrest has prompted conflicting accounts between her attorney and federal authorities regarding the existence of an arrest warrant.

According to court documents filed by Rodriguez's lawyer, she was not shown any warrant during her arrest and was only presented with an immigration document directing her to appear before ICE. The attorney, Joel Coxander, stated that an ICE agent indicated no arrest warrant existed at the time of arrest. However, ICE filed court documents Friday asserting that an arrest warrant had been issued for Rodriguez on Monday and that her visa had expired.

Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the United States lawfully and has been living in the country for five years with a valid work permit. She has applied for political asylum and legal status through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. Court records indicate she left Colombia after receiving death threats for her coverage of crime in the region.

The reporter joined Nashville Noticias in 2022, covering social, family, health, police and immigration issues. She has produced stories critical of ICE operations. Rodriguez was with her husband in a marked Nashville Noticias vehicle when it was surrounded by several other vehicles and she was taken to a detention center.

ICE spokesperson Melissa Egan said Rodriguez was arrested during a "targeted enforcement operation" and will remain in custody as her case proceeds through court. The agency disputes claims that the arrest violated any laws or regulations. Rodriguez's attorney has called for her immediate release, but ICE has asked a judge to deny the request.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has denounced what it called "immigration tactics that detain journalists" and efforts to interfere with news coverage of immigration enforcement. Court documents show ICE had twice rescheduled meetings with Rodriguez regarding her case, with a new meeting scheduled for March 17.