Human Impact Project

Martin Majin-Leon, a 58-year-old barber shop owner in Pomona, was detained by ICE agents on March 31, 2025, while arriving at his business. He was held in federal custody for over 30 hours before being released on April 2, 2025. The detention was related to an immigration issue from more than 20 years prior. His family discovered his detention through surveillance footage showing him being taken at gunpoint.

Armando Gonzalez, a father and sole household provider, was detained by ICE in Big Bear, California on March 31st. His wife is terminally ill with only days or weeks to live. A community organization is raising funds to help him secure legal representation.

Maria's father, an undocumented immigrant from Durango, Mexico, is currently in ICE custody facing deportation. He came to the United States with Maria's mother decades ago but was unable to obtain legal residency. After Maria's mother passed away in 2018, he attempted to legalize his status based on a new law but was ultimately denied and ordered to return to Mexico for 1–10 years. Maria and her grandmother, who are dependent on him, face financial hardship and loss of transportation as a result of his detention.

On March 28, 2025, Border Patrol agents observed a Ford Explorer suspected of human smuggling in McAllen, Texas. When agents activated emergency equipment and approached the vehicle, it fled and drove into a canal approximately one-half mile away, becoming submerged. Five occupants were rescued from the canal, but two individuals remained unaccounted for. A female was recovered deceased on March 28, and a juvenile male was found deceased in the vehicle on March 29. Autopsies determined both deaths were caused by drowning.

A 28-year-old Venezuelan man was detained by ICE agents during his final interview for permanent residency at a USCIS office in Phoenix, Arizona, despite having valid work permits and approval of his family petition. He was separated from his U.S. citizen wife and 3-year-old daughter during the interview and subsequently arrested and deported.

Jaime Cabriales-Carlos, a graduate student at UTSA, was detained by ICE on March 28th and taken to Karnes Country Immigration Processing Center. The post calls for an end to detention of students, professors, and staff.

A woman and 13-year-old boy drowned when a vehicle involved in alleged human smuggling drove into a canal while fleeing U.S. Border Patrol agents in McAllen, Texas during severe flooding. Two men—Jose Alexis Baeza-Combaluzier, a 26-year-old Mexican national, and Vicente Garcia Jr., 18, of Roma, Texas—have been charged in connection with the smuggling deaths and face up to life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.

Jerce Reyes Barrios, a 36-year-old Venezuelan soccer player and father of two, was deported to El Salvador's CECOT prison under the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act, allegedly as a member of Tren de Aragua gang. His attorney claims the deportation was wrongful, arguing the government's only evidence is a tattoo of a soccer ball with a crown (a tribute to Real Madrid) and hand gestures from old Facebook posts.

A 53-year-old woman was detained by ICE while obtaining meat for a stew. Her 21-year-old daughter Samantha describes the incident. The woman is a long-term undocumented resident who has lived in the United States for three decades.

ICE conducted a raid on a paint business in El Cajon on March 27, 2025, arresting Jorge Lopez Leon and approximately 14 other workers. Lopez Leon, a father of four whose wife is a U.S. citizen and who was in the process of obtaining a green card, was detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The operation involved dozens of agents with weapons and resulted in the deportation of at least three workers who chose not to contest their cases in immigration court.

ICE transferred 20-year-old Cristofer Ortega from New Jersey to a detention center in Louisiana despite having an approved legal pathway to citizenship through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Ortega, who arrived in the U.S. at age 9 and has no criminal record, was detained after an encounter while completing his HVAC certification. ICE is planning to deport him to Honduras before he can apply for his green card.

The Pima County Medical Examiner identified skeletal remains found in a desert area as Maria Moran Dzul. Border Patrol agents discovered the remains on September 11, and the Tohono O'odham Police recovered them on October 1. The woman was identified through dental and circumstantial information, and the cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama from Iran, was detained by ICE agents on March 25, 2025, around 3-5 a.m. at his home after the State Department revoked his F-1 student visa. Doroudi had entered the U.S. in January 2023 and his visa was revoked six months after arrival, though university international student services advised he could remain legally if he maintained student status. DHS cited national security concerns as the basis for the detention and visa revocation, but provided no specific allegations. Doroudi's immigration attorney stated he is unaware of any such concerns. He is being held at the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana.

An Instagram post reports that ICE detained a working father in San Diego, leaving behind his family and a two-month-old baby.

Sergio Garcia Silva, a 65-year-old chef who lived in the United States for 36 years, was deported to Mexico by ICE on March 25, 2025. He had no criminal record and owned a Mexican restaurant business in Waco. Garcia had entered the U.S. in 1989 and spent 25 years attempting to become a U.S. citizen before being arrested at his food truck and deported within one day. The deportation was based on a two-decade-old deportation order for illegal re-entry that had never been previously enforced. After deportation, Garcia was held captive by an extortion group in Mexico and was apprehended by Border Patrol when attempting to return, resulting in a second deportation in June 2025. The deportations separated him from his family, including four children, who remained in the United States.

On March 15, 2025, eight Venezuelan women with Temporary Protected Status were arrested and deported despite a federal judge's order to halt deportations. They were flown to El Salvador instead of Venezuela as told, but El Salvador refused to accept them and returned them to the United States. Three of the women have since been deported to Venezuela, while five remain in U.S. detention centers where they report being beaten and mistreated. The incident contradicts Justice Department claims that deportation flights could not be turned around following the court order.

An undocumented Maryland mother whose teenage son died of cancer while she was in ICE custody has requested deportation to Mexico. Officials did not release Martinez-Carrada in time to see her son before his death in late January, though she was permitted to attend his funeral.

At least 15 people were detained this week through targeted arrests conducted by ICE agents in Southern California. The post credits advocacy organizations for their continued support of reporting on immigration enforcement activities.

Multiple immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles have resulted in the detention of long-term residents. Julio Vargas, a coconut vendor, was detained two months prior and has since returned to work. Rafael Vela, a 64-year-old man, was taken into custody by federal agents outside his Silver Lake home on January 7, 2026, in video footage showing masked agents removing him in an unmarked vehicle. DHS confirmed Vela's arrest during an immigration enforcement operation. The family states a letter later revealed discrepancies regarding his actual residency status.

Jorge was detained by ICE on March 23 when he arrived for a scheduled biometrics appointment as part of his U visa application, a pathway to legal status for crime victims. According to his wife, staff delayed him, told him to wait, and then contacted immigration authorities. ICE agents entered and detained him immediately. Jorge has no criminal record and is a survivor of gun violence. He is currently held at Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration detention facility in Newark, and has not received an initial court date to determine if his detention is lawful.

Nine members of a Queens church music ministry were detained by ICE during a traffic stop on their return trip from an out-of-state church event. While in detention, they signed documents for voluntary departure to Guatemala. All nine were primary breadwinners who left behind spouses and young children.

A federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration's policy that would subject thousands of refugees to arrest and detention if they fail to obtain green cards within a year of entering the United States. The policy, part of 'Operation PARRIS,' potentially affects over 100,000 lawfully admitted refugees. The judge ruled the policy was an unlawful reinterpretation of immigration law departing from decades of established practice.

Rubén González, a Venezuelan national with pending asylum who entered the U.S. in 2022, was detained by ICE on March 22 following a traffic accident in Clermont, Florida. González had valid temporary documentation, work authorization, and regular legal status at the time of the incident. After police reviewed his documents at the accident scene, he was transferred to ICE custody and taken to an immigration detention facility in Jacksonville. Human rights organizations and immigration attorneys have since questioned the legality of detaining someone with active protected status immediately following a traffic accident.

Three migrants died during two separate incidents while attempting to cross the southern border near Otay Mountain Wilderness in San Diego County during severe winter weather. The first incident involved an adult woman who made a distress call and was found alive alongside a deceased woman; the second involved a 16-year-old girl who survived and two deceased men, one her father. Both groups had crossed into the U.S. illegally and faced extreme cold, rain, and snow.

On March 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security fired nearly all staff at its Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) through reduction in force notices. By May 2025, CRCL had seen an 80 percent staff cut and OIDO a 96 percent cut, drastically reducing the agencies' ability to investigate complaints, make recommendations, and conduct facility inspections.

A 24-year-old Venezuelan man, Gustavo Alfonso Garcia Olivares, drowned in the Rio Grande while attempting to enter the United States.

ICE began moving a person named Cristofer from Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire to Louisiana, which is described as a deportation flight hub for ICE. Advocates are urging constituents to contact Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker demanding his immediate return and release.

ICE detained two teenagers in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania on March 20 while they were riding their bikes to work. Coraopolis police stopped the teenagers and may have called ICE to detain them around 9:00 AM. Frontline DIGNITY shared the report to support community awareness and preparedness.

On March 19, ICE and Border Patrol agents conducted a multi-person enforcement operation in the parking lot of a market in Christiansted, St. Croix. Video footage showed agents subduing a man on the pavement with one agent appearing to have his knee on the man's head and neck. Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett commented on the enforcement action and the manner in which it was carried out.

Kristiyan Jamil Adib, an Iraqi citizen and national, was detained by ICE on March 18, 2025 after serving sentences for felony firearm possession and assault convictions. He was informed he would be deported to Iraq pursuant to an administrative removal order, but claimed he could not return due to fears of torture. Despite an initial credible fear finding, an Immigration Judge denied his Convention Against Torture relief and ordered his removal to Iraq on November 20, 2025. The court granted his habeas petition and ordered his immediate release from immigration detention.

Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court challenging her detention at the Aurora ICE Processing Center. On March 21, 2025, Judge Nina Y. Wang issued an order prohibiting her removal from Colorado or the United States pending resolution of the case. The plaintiff subsequently filed an amended petition on April 8, 2025.

Frontline DIGNITY reported ICE activity in the Cranberry area on March 17 around 10:00 AM, with ICE collaborating with the Butler County Sheriff's Office to detain individuals near Brandt Drive. The organization shared this information to support community awareness and provided instructions for witnesses to report enforcement activity safely.

Ricardo Navarrete, an 18-year-old Chicago high school senior, and his mother Liliana were detained outside Chicago Immigration Court on March 16 after being told to come sign papers. Both had active asylum cases and no criminal records. They were from Colombia and arrived in the U.S. in 2022. Ricardo has been transported multiple times between facilities and placed in solitary confinement; he and his mother are currently separated in different facilities in Kentucky.

Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, a Venezuelan national in unauthorized status, was sentenced to eight months and two days in federal prison on March 16, 2025, for assaulting an ICE deportation officer near Mission Bay in San Diego. Bastardo Llovera pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, admitting he bit an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on the forearm during a deportation operation on July 15, 2025.

A Cameron County grand jury issued a 'no bill' on March 15, 2025, in the death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez, who was shot by a Homeland Security Investigations agent on South Padre Island. Federal officials claimed Martinez attempted to run over an ICE agent, but a passenger's statement indicated the car was moving slowly and the agent fired without warning. Martinez's family requested a federal investigation and release of records.

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old US citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop on March 15, 2025. Newly released body camera footage shows Martinez pulling his car forward as law enforcement attempted to stop him at the scene of a road accident. DHS claimed Martinez accelerated and intentionally ran over an agent, prompting defensive gunfire, but his family's attorneys contend the footage contradicts the official account.

The Trump administration deported 238 Venezuelan immigrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March 2025, labeling them as terrorists and dangerous gang members. However, internal Department of Homeland Security data obtained by ProPublica reveals that officials knew only 32 had been convicted of U.S. crimes, with most being nonviolent offenses, and more than half had no U.S. criminal record at all, having only violated immigration laws. The deportees were sent to CECOT prison in El Salvador without judicial review, and many remain incarcerated for over two months with no ability to contact families or lawyers.

Maikol Gabriel López Lizano, a Venezuelan migrant working as a mechanic in Chicago, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of gang membership in Tren de Aragua. He was deported on March 15, 2025, via charter plane to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 without due process or the opportunity to challenge the allegation.

A grand jury issued a 'no bill' in the March 2025 shooting death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez by a Homeland Security Investigations agent at South Padre Island, Texas. DHS stated Martinez attempted to run over a federal agent, but a witness affidavit indicated the vehicle was moving slowly and the agent fired without warning. The shooting was not publicly disclosed until February 2026.

Yoderlyn Daviana Acosta Peña, a 21-year-old Venezuelan migrant living and working in Chicago, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of gang membership in Tren de Aragua based on subjective criteria including tattoos. On March 15, 2025, while being deported via charter plane, an ICE officer physically assaulted her, grabbing her by the hair and punching her in the face. She was deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act without due process.

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent on South Padre Island, Texas on March 15, 2025. According to ICE's internal report, the agent fired at Martinez after he allegedly accelerated his vehicle and struck another HSI agent. The involvement of ICE was not publicly disclosed until nearly a year later when Newsweek reported details based on internal incident reports.

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Afghan national who served with U.S. military forces, was arrested by ICE near his home in Richardson, Texas. He died less than 24 hours later at Parkland Hospital in Dallas after experiencing a medical emergency involving chest pain, shortness of breath, and severe tongue swelling while in custody. His family stated he was in the country legally with a pending immigration case, while ICE reported his parole had expired and cited prior arrests. The cause of death remained under investigation.

César Herrera Ferrer, a 24-year-old Venezuelan, was detained by ICE after his father-in-law, Óscar Antonio Castañeda, called immigration authorities during an escalating family conflict. The dispute began when Castañeda was confronted and expelled from the home, then returned to threaten Herrera with a firearm while he held his young daughter. After Castañeda was arrested but released within 72 hours, he allegedly used Herrera's immigration status as a tool of intimidation.

Three migrants died in two separate incidents in the Otay Mesa/Otay Mountain Wilderness area near San Diego on March 14, 2025, during a winter storm with near-freezing temperatures. In the first incident, Border Patrol agents found one deceased woman near Cuchama Truck Trail and rescued an adult female who had called for help. In the second incident occurring less than an hour later, agents discovered two deceased men and rescued a 16-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the deceased men. All individuals who crossed the border became lost and experienced hypothermia symptoms in the severe weather conditions.

ImmigrationDefenders reports that parents attempting to reunify with children in federal custody are being arrested and placed into deportation proceedings. The organization represents 12 children in Southern California whose parents were detained shortly after initiating the reunification process, leaving children stranded in shelters.

Chicago attorneys filed a federal court motion on March 13, 2025, accusing ICE and DHS of violating immigration law and constitutional rights of at least 22 people arrested since January. The motion alleges agents made warrantless arrests and created warrants in the field after arrests, including the arrest of a U.S. citizen. Attorneys cite violations of the Nava Settlement and Fourth Amendment protections.

Neiyerver Adrian Leon Rengel, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national, was detained by ICE on March 13, 2025, in Irving, Texas, based on suspected gang affiliation determined by his tattoos. His case record disappeared from ICE's online tracking system two days later. Authorities told his girlfriend he was deported, but he has not been located in Venezuela or on any public list of deportees sent to El Salvador.

Eliezar was detained by ICE on March 13 while returning home from work. After being held in an ICE detention center for weeks, he decided to self-deport to Guatemala. His wife Josselin and three children (ages 11, 6, and 16 months) were left without their sole income provider.

A 14-year-old Brazilian girl with an expired visitor visa was detained by ICE agents on March 11 after being found in a car in Marlboro, Massachusetts. She was taken to Boston and then transported overnight to a detention facility in New York. A federal judge ordered her immediate return to Massachusetts on March 13, expressing concern about the detention and overnight transfer, and she was reunited with her U.S. citizen aunt.

Yolanda Perez-Magallón, a 50-year-old undocumented immigrant and caregiver for her 21-year-old daughter with cancer, was detained by ICE agents on February 24 as a collateral arrest during an immigration sweep targeting her son Jonathan. She was held for nearly two weeks before being released on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 10.