NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Department of Homeland Security is defending the arrest of a man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in South Nashville while he was on his way to work — but the agency's account conflicts with what his family told NewsChannel5.
NewsChannel 5 first reported on Espindola Ramirez’s detention on Friday, February 20. We contacted DHS and ICE officials on Thursday, February 19, informing them that the story was scheduled to air Friday at 6 p.m. — giving them more than 24 hours to respond.
However, they did not reply until Saturday, February 21, a day after the report aired. That delay is why their side of the story is only being included now.
Video taken on February 17 shows ICE agents surrounding Juan Martin Espindola Ramirez's work vehicle on Nolensville Pike.
In their statement, DHS says that during the encounter, "Espindola-Ramirez did NOT present any form of a driver license."
But both Espindola Ramirez and his wife, U.S. citizen Juana Bautista, dispute that claim. Bautista sent NewsChannel5 a copy of his Real ID driver's license, showing it was issued in December 2024 and does not expire until January 2027.
"I heard him, he's like, here's my driver's license. And the officer was like, 'No, that's not going to cut it.' So, he got his work permit out of his wallet, and he showed it to him, and I heard the officer say, 'That ain't s***,'" Bautista said.
DHS describes Espindola Ramirez as a "criminal illegal alien from Mexico" who resisted arrest.
Video of the encounter sent to NewsChannel 5 shows agents breaking Espindola Ramirez's van windows before he begins running. He says he ran out of fear.
"They broke the windows of my work van and started hitting me," Espindola Ramirez said.
DHS points out Espindola Ramirez has two previous arrests in 2018 and 2019 by Metro Nashville Police for driving without a license. But public records show both citations were dismissed, and he has not been convicted of a crime.
"I've never committed a crime. Never," Espindola Ramirez said.
The agency also says Espindola Ramirez's work authorization was granted by the Biden administration, and that having work authorization does not equal legal status in the country.
Records show Espindola Ramirez first applied for a U visa on September 17, 2017, during President Donald Trump's first term. A 2022 letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirms the agency found his petition met requirements and granted him work authorization and deferred action while he waited for the visa.
"Everybody says you're supposed to be here the legal way we are doing it, the legal way. It doesn't matter. They don't care. They don't respect it," Bautista said.
Espindola Ramirez says he later applied for his green card and says lawyers told him he would receive it in 2026.
ICE says Espindola Ramirez will remain in custody pending immigration proceedings.
His family says they remain hopeful he will be released.
"He's not a criminal. He was here legally. He's on a work visa. He has a social, he had his real ID... I don't see a reason that they took him," Bautista said.
His employer, where Espindola Ramirez has worked as a plumber for five years, said he's "the kind of person this country claims to want: hardworking, responsible, and family-oriented."
A lawyer at Ozment Law said the firm could not give specific information about any particular client but said, "We had a number of consultations in which similar facts have been true, we are concerned that warrant-less arrests without probable cause are increasing and the fact that immigrants hold a valid work permit is not taken into consideration."
Full statement from a DHS Spokesperson:
"On February 17, ICE arrested Juan Espindola-Ramirez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico. During a vehicle stop, Espindola-Ramirez refused to exit his vehicle when officers requested him to do so. ICE officers removed him from his vehicle. During the stop, he continued to resist arrest and attempted to run away from officers. ICE safely took Espindola-Ramirez into custody.
"Espindola-Ramirez did NOT present any form of a driver license during the encounter. He has two previous arrests in 2018 and 2019 by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for driving without a license. He will receive full due process and remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
"He was granted work authorization by the Biden administration. To be clear work authorization does not confer any legal status in this country.
"Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all parents to use the CBP Home app to take control of their departure. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."
Quotes originally spoken in Spanish have been translated to English. Any personal information visible in documents referenced in this story has been removed to protect the safety of those involved.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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