U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson on Wednesday dismissed the federal habeas corpus lawsuit brought by Estefany Rodriguez Flores, the Colombian journalist who was briefly detained by immigration authorities earlier this year in Nashville.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Rodriguez Flores was in federal custody after missing two meetings with ICE, first because of Winter Storm Fern, then because her attorney was unable to confirm the appointment date during a visit to ICE’s office in Nashville.
Although Rodriguez Flores’s lawsuit asked the court to order her release from ICE custody, she had already been released on March 19 on a $10,000 bond, leading the Trump-appointed judge to deny the request as moot.
Richardson also rejected Rodriguez Flores’ argument that the bond conditions constituted a form of custody.
Rodriguez Flores also argued that Richardson should rule her arrest unconstitutional, claiming it violated the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments, with particular offense to her due process rights. Richardson ruled that they are outside the realm of the habeas corpus lawsuit, which generally seeks to determine the legal validity of holding a prisoner, and declined to offer a judgment as a result.
Richardson additionally denied Rodriguez Flores’ request to file an injunction blocking ICE from rearresting her in the future.
According to court documents, Rodriguez Flores entered the United States on a B-2 visa in March 2021 but remained in the country illegally after it expired on September 9, 2021. She applied for asylum in July 2021, and the asylum is reportedly still pending.
Just days before she was originally scheduled to meet with ICE officials in January, Rodriguez Flores married an American citizen. The couple later claimed they had planned the engagement since 2025.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Estefany Rodriguez Flores” by Estefany Rodriguez Flores.
