Perhaps the most alarming story of the week comes from a Nashville courtroom, where the U.S. government has argued in a court filing that journalist Estefany Rodríguez — and, by extension, anyone the government deems an “unlawful alien” — has no First Amendment rights whatsoever.
Rodríguez, originally from Colombia but with authorization to work in the United States, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 4 and released on bond last week. She argued her detention was retaliation for her journalism. The government’s response, according to Freedom of the Press Foundation, appears to mark the first time the administration has taken such a sweeping position in court — one that could affect not just immigrant journalists, but also immigrant sources who speak to the press. If the argument gains legal traction, the chilling effect on newsgathering in immigrant communities could be profound.