NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A Nashville reporter who was detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is speaking out.
Estefany Rodríguez Florez was taken by immigration enforcement officials earlier this month.
Her attorneys claim the arrest was in retaliation for her reporting on ICE activity in the area. They added that she obtained a work visa after coming to the country on a tourist visa and applying for asylum.
ICE claims Rodríguez has no legal immigration status.
Still, she was granted bond last week.
Estefany Rodríguez Florez said her life changed on March 4 when immigration agents surrounded her Nashville Noticias news car as her husband parked it at the gym.
Her attorneys said she entered the country legally on a tourist visa, applied for asylum and had a work permit.
Before Rodríguez was released last week, she said she witnessed what she described as "inhumane" conditions, like people limited to no time outside and barely enough time to eat or interact at one facility.
Rodríguez said that in her time under ICE custody, she worried for people with medical conditions.
For 16 days, Rodríguez said she couldn't sleep, holding on to hope that she would see her daughter and husband again soon.
6 News' sister station, WKRN, translated an interview she gave to her employer, Nashville Noticias.
"Everything you go through is so inhumane that in the end, you're more affected by what you see than by what you actually experience," Rodríguez described.
On March 4, when Rodríguez was detained, she was taken to an ICE field office, briefly spoke with an attorney and then transferred to a county jail in Alabama.
"[There were] four days where I couldn't talk to my husband, who was the person I most wanted to call to get details about my daughter," Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez said she was also told the jail did not allow attorney-client calls.
According to a lawsuit against ICE, after a day in jail, Rodríguez said she mentioned her head felt itchy, and officers suspected lice.
Her attorney said that despite an officer telling her they didn't see any lice, Rodríguez was placed in isolation for five days.
Afterward, they said she was taken to a shower room, ordered to undress and had a "chemical liquid" poured over her head, burning her eyes.
She said conditions were "more bearable" when she was transferred to an ICE processing center in Louisiana.
"You can go eat; you can eat peacefully, and then they lock you up," Rodríguez said. "But let's say it’s more bearable. In detention centers, there’s also the opportunity to go out for a little walk. I used to do that too, but it’s all on a schedule, meaning you go back in for a little while. I think that’s also a way to get some fresh air. I mean, if you go out for a little while, you see the sky, and you recover a bit, but in the end, you go back inside."
After 16 days, she was released on a $10,000 bond.
"Suddenly, an officer came into the room and said to me: 'Estefany Rodríguez,'" Rodríguez described. "So I just stood there, not really knowing what was going on, and he said: 'You're leaving.' I was completely in shock. And yes, it was a moment of joy, but it was also really hard to say goodbye to people who'd been kind to me, to people who were staying behind."
Now, as her immigration case continues, Rodríguez said she plans to continue reporting soon.
"Unlike what people may think or say, I have permission to work here; my permit is still valid," Rodríguez said. "And I'll continue working for Nashville Noticias. So those who care about me will surely be seeing me. Just give me a little break this week to try and get some sleep."
WKRN has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is awaiting a response.