The battle of Estefany Rodriguez, the journalist who covered immigration in Tennessee and ended up detained by ICE

"Although authorities claim that last Wednesday's arrest was due to Rodriguez's alleged irregular immigration status, lawyers for the journalist, who is married to a U.S. citizen and has a pending asylum claim, assert that her arrest was not routine, but rather a targeted detention in retaliation for her work covering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations as part of the unprecedented deportation offensive launched by the Republican administration."

"The legal team representing Rodriguez filed a writ of habeas corpus with the federal judge overseeing her case last weekend, alleging that she had been detained without a warrant. On Monday, they refiled the petition, adding that her arrest violated her First and Fifth Amendment rights, which guarantee freedom of speech and due process."

"Rodriguez, 35, is a reporter for the Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias, founded in 2016 to inform Tennessee's growing Hispanic community about local issues, politics, safety, and culture. There, Rodriguez had focused much of her recent coverage on ICE raids and operations in the state capital."

Estefany Rodriguez, a 35-year-old Colombian reporter for Nashville Noticias, was arrested by immigration agents in Tennessee while traveling with her husband. Rodriguez's legal team contends the detention was targeted retaliation for her coverage of ICE operations, not routine immigration enforcement, despite authorities citing irregular immigration status. Rodriguez is married to a U.S. citizen with a pending asylum claim. Her lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition alleging detention without warrant and violations of First and Fifth Amendment rights. District Judge Eli Richardson scheduled a hearing for March 17 and gave the administration until Thursday to explain the detention reasons. Rodriguez had focused recent coverage on ICE raids in Tennessee.

Read at english.elpais.com