ICE Detains Nashville Immigration Reporter For Being Illegally In The Country

notthebee.com ^ | Mar 9, 2026

[V_TWIN]

You can't make it up.

A Nashville, Tennessee, reporter was detained because she's apparently in the country illegally.

In a written statement, a spokeswoman for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said on Friday that Ms. Rodriguez had overstayed her tourist visa 'and currently has no lawful immigration status.'

But even amid the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operations, Ms. Rodriguez is an unusual target for detention. She has an active asylum case, a pending green card application through her American husband and no criminal record. In the past, immigrants applying for green cards through their American spouses were not subject to detention, even if they had overstayed their visas.

It's "unusual" to detain people with active asylum claims, but that doesn't change the fact that she is still in the country illegally. It just means we rarely enforce our own laws.

[V_TWIN]

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"According to The Times, Rodriguez fled Colombia as a refugee because her home country didn't like her reporting."

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Yeah sure.....Tony Montana came here as a refugee and look how THAT turned out.

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[Antoninus]

"According to The Times, Rodriguez fled Colombia as a refugee because her home country didn't like her reporting."

So she came to the US to report what an awful country the US is.

Why on earth we tolerate these people in our country is beyond me.

[T.B. Yoits]

She’s here on a tourist visa taking a job from an American.

[Jane Long]

Deport her!

[V_TWIN]

See my tag line

[T.B. Yoits]

"I'm not safe in my home country" does not mean "I'm not safe unless I stay here."

She's free to go anywhere in the world - except here. Goodbye.

[Jeff Chandler]

Sure, overstay your Visa while agitating against the U.S., then whine about being oppressed.

[Texas Eagle]

She has.. no criminal record.

Uhhhhh...didn't you just say she overstayed her visa?

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Its probably generous to call this woman a “reporter.”

[SteelPSUGOP]

She is an asylum tourist. 🤣

A tourist visa expires. She should have applied for a different type of visa, but just about all of them require you to return to your country after some period of time.

She is clearly trying to game the system.

We let in 1m to 1.3m LEGAL immigrants each year. We are super welcoming.

Follow the @@$;/$? law. What other laws do you intend to break?

[Fish Speaker]

Overstaying a tourist visa is a civil penalty, not a criminal one, so yes, she has no criminal record.

[fwdude]

I'm definitely a "wherever they may be found" advocate.

ALL of them, whether they've been here 30 years, are 5 years old, 80 years old, working a steady job, or raising a family. ALL of them must leave. Now.

No other country on the face of the earth would tolerate anything less.

[Cold Heart]

Good tagline. I will use it.

[eyeamok]

immigrants applying for green cards through their American spouses were not subject to detention, even if they had overstayed their visas.

This is true, when I married my wife we decided to have her overstay her tourist visa and deal with instead of her going back to Austria to start the paperwork. But she was not a rabble rouser, just a pretty girl that married a rich white guy here in the US. It all worked out just fine and she got her green card and never went back.

[rolling_stone]

law changed....

https://www.nyccriminalattorneys.com/tourist-visa-overstay-arrested/

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

In the past, immigrants applying for green cards through their American spouses were not subject to detention, even if they had overstayed their visas.

That is normally true IF THEY WERE NOT WORKING.

If they were working, which she was, they were subject to detention because they were committing fraud.

My SIL went through this in the late 80s. I read all the regulations to her. Do not try to pee on my leg and tell me that it is rain.

[central_va]

We need a special work visa like the H-1B visa to replace all domestic media reporters. Like they did for IT workers like me. Then we will see how pro immigrant the MSM really is.

[ConservativeMind]

Good link!

[Flag_This]

"In the past, immigrants"

That was then, this is now.

[JimRed]

ALL of them must leave. Now.

Does that include their young born here, who by the fault of our own laws are citizens? That needs to be corrected.