Human Impact Project

U.S. immigration enforcement agents conducted operations across the Midwest resulting in several incidents involving use of force. In Des Plaines, ICE agents tased Edgar Ruiz, a U.S. citizen born in Chicago, in the face outside a 7-Eleven; he was detained for approximately two hours before being released and hospitalized, while his undocumented father remained in ICE custody. In Evanston, a CBP agent was recorded striking a man repeatedly in the head while pinned down during an arrest; DHS stated agents were responding to an aggressive situation involving a vehicle crash and hostile crowd. In Minneapolis, an ICE agent shoved City Council President Elliot Payne from behind while he was filming with state officials. In Eden Prairie, ICE agents detained Jose Gomez and his 13-year-old son Jose; the teenage son was handcuffed and later required medical attention at St. Francis Regional Medical Center for an abnormal heartbeat.

A man, Jose Garcia-Sorto, was shot by an ICE agent near I-17 and Dove Valley Road in Phoenix on Wednesday morning. The ICE agent fired two shots at Garcia-Sorto's vehicle after he allegedly attempted to speed away following an initial traffic stop. Garcia-Sorto's wife reports being unable to obtain information from authorities about his condition, and states he is hospitalized under a different name.

A Guardian investigation found that ICE has been holding people in small, secretive rooms inside field offices and federal buildings for days or weeks. After ICE issued a June memo allowing up to three-day holds, data showed average detention times increased by nearly 600% at some locations, with cases of people held for months. Legal groups are challenging these practices, citing lack of oversight, denial of legal counsel access, and poor conditions.

Arthur Berto, a 13-year-old asylum-seeking boy from Brazil, was arrested by Everett, Massachusetts police on suspicion of making a violent threat at school. After his mother arrived to pick him up from the police station, ICE took him to a detention facility without informing her of his location or what would happen to him. According to the police chief, this was the first occurrence of this type in Everett.

Homeland Security Investigations agents raided an apartment in Lynden, Washington on October 29, detaining U.S. citizen Jocelyn Peña while arresting her undocumented partner, Jesus Alejandro Lopez Ruiz, on a federal warrant alleging he assaulted an officer during a vehicle pursuit on October 15. Lopez Ruiz was booked into Whatcom County Jail and transferred to federal immigration custody. Advocates and Lopez Ruiz's partner dispute the assault allegation, characterizing the arrest as retribution and intimidation, with claims that no evidence has been provided that the alleged car door contact occurred.

Victor Rodriguez Ocampo Sr., 54, owner of La Playa Taco Shop in Mission Beach, was detained by ICE on October 31 outside his National City home and deported to Mexico after approximately two months at Otay Mesa Detention Center. His son has taken over operations at the restaurant and established a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $18,500 toward legal expenses and family support. Rodriguez Jr. recently joined the U.S. Navy while working a second job to keep the family business operating.

During a federal immigration enforcement operation on October 31, 2025, a crash occurred at the intersection of Asbury and Oakton in Evanston when a red vehicle rear-ended a federal agent vehicle. Witnesses reported agents braked suddenly; DHS stated agents were attempting to make a U-turn. Three U.S. citizens were arrested following confrontations at the scene, during which pepper spray was deployed. The incident also involved federal agents targeting workers in nearby Skokie.

Border Patrol agents conducted immigration enforcement raids across Chicago and nearby suburbs on Halloween, detaining multiple individuals. Incidents included pepper-spray deployment in Albany Park, an agent pointing a weapon at protesters in Evanston, and an officer punching a detainee. Three U.S. citizens were arrested for allegedly obstructing the operations, while five Mexican nationals were detained.

U.S. citizen Leo Garcia Venegas was detained twice by ICE agents during workplace raids in southern Alabama in 2025, despite presenting valid REAL ID credentials. The article documents multiple cases of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained during ICE's mass arrest operations, including a 16-year-old in Houston and over 170 cases found by ProPublica where agents held citizens without warrant or proper cause.

Carlos Jimenez, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen and food bank worker with three children, was shot in the shoulder by an ICE officer during a residential enforcement action in Ontario on October 30, 2025. Federal authorities claim Jimenez reversed his vehicle toward officers in a threatening manner, while his attorneys argue he was shot from behind while attempting to leave the scene after warning agents about nearby school children. A bullet remains lodged in his right shoulder. Jimenez was charged with assault on a federal officer but released on bond and has pleaded not guilty. The incident is under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI.

Armando Garcia Picazo, detained by ICE in August without legal status, was ordered released by federal judge Leonard Strand after being denied bond approved by an immigration judge. Garcia Picazo was held at Woodbury County jail for over two months before filing a habeas corpus lawsuit. He was required to post $6,000 bond and will continue his immigration case on a non-detained docket.

Two employees of SUNY Upstate Medical University were detained by ICE on Wednesday while attending immigration hearings to finalize their legal status. The workers were taken into custody before entering the courtroom and are being held at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, facing possible deportation. Union officials from CSEA and UUP issued statements regarding ICE's actions.

The Trump administration implemented a zero-tolerance policy in spring and summer 2018 that separated approximately 3,000 children from their parents at the southern border. Children were sent to shelters thousands of miles away with no contact with parents, and the government lacked a centralized database to facilitate reunifications. Years later, some children remained unreunited with their parents due to chaotic record-keeping and implementation failures.

Rian Andrianzah, an Indonesian national, was arrested by ICE agents while attending what he believed was a routine biometrics appointment in Philadelphia. His arrest occurred while his wife waited in another room, and he was subsequently sent to a Central Pennsylvania detention center where he now faces deportation. The arrest is part of the Trump administration's strategy shift to apprehend green card applicants, asylum seekers, and others engaged in legal immigration processes.

A 16-year-old boy named Diego had both parents taken in separate ICE raids. After being released from ICE custody, Diego's mother Yolanda shared her account of the experience. The incident was originally covered in November of the previous year.

Lonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, was at a construction site in coastal Alabama when immigration agents arrived. Garcia Venegas began filming after his undocumented brother requested a warrant from agents. Agents removed his brother to the ground during the encounter. Garcia Venegas was also taken into custody. Agents checked his REAL ID, which Alabama issues to those legally in the U.S. Garcia Venegas was held handcuffed for more than an hour. His brother was later deported. Garcia Venegas returned to work two weeks later. On a subsequent occasion, an immigration agent encountered Garcia Venegas at a construction site and checked his REAL ID. Agents also held two other workers who had legal status during immigration enforcement activities.

A 45-year-old Mexican citizen who entered legally in January 2025 and overstayed her visa was arrested on her way to work. At the Portland ICE facility, an officer forced her to sign a rights waiver form in Spanish without allowing her to consult a lawyer, telling her that refusing voluntary removal would take a very long time. The form waived her right to an immigration court hearing despite her intention to seek asylum. Within hours, ICE shackled her and transferred her to Tacoma, Washington, before her attorneys could properly advise her.

M-J-M-A, a 45-year-old Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. legally in January 2025 and overstayed her visa, was arrested on October 30, 2025 on her way to work. An ICE officer pressured her to sign a document she did not understand, in Spanish, that waived her right to an immigration court hearing and requested voluntary removal. The officer told her that refusing would delay her departure. When her attorney met with her approximately three hours later, they had only about 10 minutes before the meeting was ended. She was then transferred to Tacoma, Washington and shackled on a bus, with no attorneys able to meet with her for approximately two days afterward.

Luisa Rodriguez, mother of a U.S. Marine, was released from ICE custody after nearly three weeks of detention. She and her husband were stopped at Camp Pendleton's gate on September 28 while visiting their daughter. After initial release with ankle monitors, they were taken into custody again at a check-in; her husband was deported to Tijuana the next day while Rodriguez was held at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The family stated they had been in the U.S. for over 30 years and had pending visa applications with work authorization.

Five plainclothes federal agents arrested a 26-year-old barber from Venezuela at Rockstar Fadez barbershop in Brighton Park. One agent had posed as a construction worker and customer earlier that morning without identifying himself as law enforcement. The agents threw the barber to the ground and carried him away in a pickup truck while threatening to detain anyone who intervened, and no warrant was presented before the arrest.

Ruperto Vicens Marquez, a 38-year-old restaurant owner and father of three from Mexico, was detained by ICE after being pulled over on a Sunday morning despite having valid work authorization that does not expire until 2029. Marquez has lived in the U.S. for 18 years and co-owns Emilio's Kitchen in Atlantic Highlands. His community, including the town mayor, rallied to support his release, and his attorney says he should never have been arrested. A detention hearing is scheduled for November 17.

Federal immigration agents arrested two men, Adolfo Felipe Mendoza-Cruz on October 30 and Fabian Pablo Beltran-Flores on November 3, in apparent violation of Washington state law prohibiting immigration enforcement within one mile of courthouses. Mendoza-Cruz was detained in a courthouse parking lot after attending a DUI arraignment, while Beltran-Flores was arrested on a sidewalk outside City Hall after a court appearance. City officials reported both incidents to the Washington State Attorney General's Office.

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers shot a driver in Ontario on Thursday morning during a vehicle stop. The driver, identified as Carlos Jimenez, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot in the shoulder after ICE says he reversed his vehicle at officers. Jimenez was not the arrest target and was on his way to work at a food bank when the incident occurred.

A Harrisonburg mother was detained by federal agents on Monday morning while taking her teenage daughter to school. A video of the incident was posted on social media.

Justo Betancourt, detained by ICE for six months starting October 2025, was released in May 2026 after a federal judge granted his habeas corpus petition. He lost 22 kilograms during detention, suffered strokes and a diabetic coma due to withheld insulin, and experienced neurological damage including tremors and mobility impairment. A federal judge found his arrest wrongful.

Federal authorities arrested 10 anti-ICE activists, including Isai Carrillo, and charged them with violence and property damage during immigration enforcement operations in Southern California between June and July 2025. The charges stem from three separate incidents: a June 6 incident in the Fashion District where a protester allegedly used pepper spray against federal agents; a June 8 downtown Los Angeles protest at Civic Center where demonstrators allegedly threw objects at officers; and a July 10 protest at a federal operation in Camarillo where protesters allegedly blocked vehicles, threw rocks, and damaged federal property. Two members of VC Defensa, an organization prosecutors said operates a rapid response network to impede immigration agents, were among those charged. Federal authorities arrested the suspects on October 29, 2025, with charges including conspiring to obstruct federal law enforcement.

Protesters gathered at the Durango ICE Facility after agents detained a father and two children (ages 12 and 15) following a traffic stop. The family possesses valid documentation and an active legal asylum process. During the demonstration, a federal agent allegedly pushed a protester. The City of Durango requested investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which declined the request.

Illinois state representative Hoan Huynh, a Vietnamese refugee, reported being confronted by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents who pointed a gun at his head while he monitored immigration enforcement operations on Chicago's North Side. Huynh was documenting the agents' activities and informing residents of their rights when the incident occurred. ICE enforcement operations in Chicago have separated families from their communities. Gerardo Perez's mother was arrested and deported in June.

An unidentified law enforcement officer placed a 57-year-old woman named Franci Stagi in a chokehold and threw her down a grassy embankment during a protest outside an ICE field office in Durango, Colorado on October 28. The incident was recorded on video. Hundreds of protesters had gathered at the location. The officer wore a black balaclava and tactical vest labeled with 'Police' or 'Police HSI' and was not identified as part of any specific law enforcement agency.

ICE agents detained a father and his two children (ages 12 and 15) who were asylum-seekers from Colombia on Monday morning in Durango, Colorado. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters gathered at the ICE field office. Federal agents used pepper spray and rubber bullets during the gathering. The family was being transferred during the confrontation.

Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, a 64-year-old man, has been detained by ICE as he fights a decades-old deportation order. He was denied bail and remains in ICE custody awaiting resolution of his case.

Miguel Lopez is an undocumented man who has lived the majority of his life in the United States. A court case on Tuesday revealed a possible path for Miguel to return to Livermore and his wife and three children and granddaughter. His deportation order was based on the Department of Homeland Security's decision in 2014 to revoke his green card — an order he has continued to contest. His attorney argues that the 2014 decision violated his due process rights to review the decision. If granted, lawyers can begin presenting arguments about whether Lopez will receive a review of that 2014 decision to uphold the revocation of his green card.

U.S. immigration officials deported an Alabama man to Laos despite a federal court order that blocked his removal. According to attorneys, the deportation proceeded against the court's directive.

A federal judge ordered Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to appear in court daily to report use-of-force incidents by his agents during immigration enforcement operations in Chicago. Allegations have been made that agents deployed tear gas in neighborhoods and used force against residents and reporters, including an incident involving tear gas near children preparing for a Halloween parade.

Kenia Jackeline Merlos was released from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after nearly four months in detention. She was arrested in June alongside her four U.S.-born children at the U.S.-Canada border. An immigration judge terminated the government's deportation case on October 14, but Merlos remained detained until her release on October 28. Her husband was deported to Honduras and her mother is also in Honduras.

ICE agents arrested a Colombian family seeking asylum in Durango, Colorado, detaining a father and two children (ages 11 and 14). Approximately 50 protesters gathered outside the ICE facility; during the protest, a masked ICE agent forcibly took a protester's phone and threw her to the ground, an incident captured on video. Local police and state officials became involved, with Durango police attempting to secure the children's release and calling for a welfare check.

Community monitors documented federal immigration agents wearing Halloween masks while leaving Terminal Island in unmarked vehicles on October 28, 2025. Agents were observed wearing masks depicting characters such as Chucky, Momo, and Mr. Potato Head while staging for immigration enforcement operations. When L.A. TACO inquired about the incident, DHS responded with 'Happy Halloween!'

U.S. citizens were detained by federal agents at an Aurora school hospital. Protesters confronted the agents at the scene. The detained individuals have since spoken out about their experience.

Omar Viadurre Luis, a Peruvian national granted legal admission and awaiting asylum review, has been detained by ICE since October 2025 after appearing in court on traffic charges that were dropped. Now held at Lewisburg federal penitentiary, he faces deportation to Honduras under Trump administration policies despite having no criminal record, a wife, a young child, stable employment, and serious medical needs. His family was legally admitted to the U.S. in September 2022 and was on the normal path to asylum review before his arrest separated their cases.

At least 3,000 jailed immigrants have not been located in federal records during Operation Midway Blitz, a seven-week immigration crackdown in Chicago, according to human rights attorneys and organizations. Immigration agents and border patrol officers have detained more than 3,000 allegedly undocumented immigrants. Attorneys have stated that some may have been deported or accepted voluntary departure.

The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic church near the White House, is experiencing increased fear among its mostly immigrant congregation due to the immigration crackdown. The church, intended as a sanctuary for worshippers, now serves a community steeped in anxiety over immigration enforcement actions.

Jose Jeronimo Guardian, a 48-year-old undocumented immigrant, was detained by ICE agents outside Clinton County Courthouse in Illinois on October 27, 2025, as he arrived for a scheduled court hearing on DUI charges. Guardian had lived in southern Illinois for approximately 20 years and was attempting to appear in traffic court as required. His family stated he was not hiding and was prepared to face the consequences of his charges.

A federal agent smashed the driver's side window of a vehicle in a grocery store parking lot in Addison, Illinois on Sunday morning to detain a woman. Video posted to social media showed masked federal agents surrounding the vehicle around 8:50 a.m., with one agent using a baton to shatter the window before unlocking and opening the car doors. Multiple people were in the vehicle, though the exact number detained was unclear.

Silvia Reyna Mendoza, who has lived in the United States for 40 years and is a mother of 8, reported sexual misconduct by an ICE contractor. A judge issued an order prohibiting her deportation. ICE deported her the following day. She is currently in ICE detention in Kern County while her family pursues her case.

After being denied access twice in October, members of Congress including Reps. Juan Vargas, Scott Peters, and Sara Jacobs, along with Sen. Alex Padilla, were granted permission to tour an ICE detention facility in the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in November following the end of the federal shutdown. The delegation had raised concerns about detainees held in basement facilities without adequate access to attorneys, medical care, or nutrition, and cited ICE's unlawful requirement of seven days' notice instead of the legally required 48 hours.

More than 170 U.S. citizens have been held by immigration agents during enforcement operations.

Rev. James Eliud Ngahu Mwangi, an Episcopal priest originally from Kenya, was detained by ICE on October 25 despite having legal authorization to live and work in the United States and being employed as a Texas state employee. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is calling for due process, transparency, and humane treatment for Mwangi, stating his family was unaware of his whereabouts for several days before locating him at an immigration detention center in Conroe.

On October 25, 2025, a 67-year-old U.S. citizen was removed from his car and assaulted by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood. The man sustained six broken ribs and internal bleeding during the incident. The enforcement operation occurred during a children's Halloween parade preparation, and tear gas was deployed near children in the area. Border Patrol agents had blocked off the street as part of their operation to apprehend an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. On October 10, 2025, Dayanne Figueroa, a U.S. citizen paralegal employed by WGN TV, was removed from her vehicle by masked Border Patrol agents on West Hubbard Street in Chicago following a traffic accident involving an unmarked government vehicle. Video footage documents armed federal agents dragging her from the car by her legs and pinning her to the ground without initially explaining the reason for the detention. Figueroa sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. She was subsequently released without being charged. Accounts differ between Figueroa and DHS regarding who struck whom and her actions during the encounter.

Federal immigration agents deployed tear gas in the Irving Park and Avondale neighborhoods on Chicago's Northwest Side on Saturday, detaining multiple people including a landscaper, a tortilla delivery driver, and an elderly resident. Neighborhood protests occurred following the incident. The incident was alleged to violate a federal judge's temporary restraining order limiting tear gas use. Additional arrests occurred at O'Hare International Airport's rideshare lot the same day.

Border Patrol agents conducting immigration enforcement in the Old Irving Park neighborhood on October 25 deployed tear gas during operations, affecting residents including a 2-year-old child. Multiple Chicago residents reported being exposed to chemical agents, with a federal judge questioning the use of tear gas without warning.