Human Impact Project

The US Trump administration deported 17 non-Cameroonian nationals from 9 African countries to Cameroon in January and February 2026 under an agreement. Cameroonian authorities detained the deportees, with 15 remaining in detention in Yaoundé. Several deportees had court-ordered protections against deportation to their countries of origin due to persecution or torture fears.

A Venezuelan trafficking survivor identified as 'Flora' was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in January 2026 and separated from her two young children. Flora alleges she was subjected to sexual assault, forced labor, and physical abuse after arriving in the U.S. in 2023. Her legal team filed a habeas corpus petition in February 2026, arguing her detention violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and reports indicate at least 41 trafficking survivors have filed similar petitions since early 2025.

A University of Washington Center for Human Rights report documents immigration enforcement across the Pacific Northwest during late 2025, with arrests increasing from 250 in late 2024 to 2,250 in the final three months of 2025. Yakima County had 180 arrests per 100,000 residents, the highest rate per capita in the state. The report documents that federal immigration agencies use systems like NLETS to access driver information through state departments of licensing to identify and arrest suspected undocumented immigrants.

The owner of La Playa Taco Shop, a decades-old Mexican food institution in San Diego's Pacific Beach, was deported following detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press authorized ICE agents to use force to enter residences based on an administrative arrest order for someone with a final deportation order, according to the document. This policy change occurred as the Trump administration expanded immigration arrests nationwide and deployed thousands of agents in a mass deportation campaign. Activists and civil liberties organizations stated the policy conflicted with Fourth Amendment constitutional protections.

An ICE agent driving into the Crosspoint check-in facility in San Antonio pointed a gun at two community members from Comrade Coffee Collective who were filming and distributing aid outside the facility. One volunteer said hello to the agent from a distance, prompting him to reach for his gun and point it at her despite her backing away, then at another volunteer further away.

Federal prosecutors under the Trump administration have filed charges against multiple ICE protesters. Recent cases in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. have resulted in acquittals and dismissals. Judges cited civil rights violations, credibility issues with law enforcement testimony, and improper detention conditions that prevented defendants from accessing counsel.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino stated to Fox News that his agents have arrested U.S. citizens on charges of assaulting federal officers. The article also details allegations of excessive force by Border Patrol and ICE agents, including a November incident in Chicago involving Bovino during 'Operation Midway Blitz.'

ICE officers entered Hennepin County Medical Center without a warrant on December 31, 2025, and guarded a patient seeking medical care for approximately 28 hours. The patient was reportedly shackled to their hospital bed at times and denied family visits while officers maintained watch. Immigration advocates and healthcare workers held a press conference demanding policy changes to protect patients from immigration enforcement in hospitals.

Immigration officials detained two U.S. citizen siblings in a Mission Bay parking lot in late December. The siblings were held in the basement of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building for most of the day before being released to their father. The family believes the incident was a case of racial profiling and reports that officers used physical force during the arrest.

A Chicago Tribune analysis found that of 106 people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz, a federal immigration enforcement operation, only nine faced pending felony charges, with the majority having charges dropped or never filed. Federal judges questioned agents' credibility. One judge ruled on the use of force against citizens during the operation.

Vilma Palacios was detained by immigration agents in Belle Chasse days after graduating from LSU nursing school in Spring. The incident was reported on an Instagram post by fox8nola with a link to more information.

Brayan Stiven Martinez Cardona was re-detained by immigration authorities on December 29, 2026, after having been previously released on bond or conditional parole. The petitioner challenged his ongoing immigration detention through a habeas corpus petition, arguing that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated due process. The court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to his December 29 detention.

Asif Amin Cheema, a 63-year-old Pakistani restaurant owner in Humboldt Park, lost his appeal to stop a deportation order when the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled his removal could proceed. Cheema has been held in an Indiana detention center since September 2025 and was previously scheduled to be removed but collapsed before boarding a flight at O'Hare Airport. His family is exploring remaining legal options.

David Courvelle, a former contract detention officer at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Nicaraguan detainee in federal custody. Between May and July 2025, Courvelle engaged in multiple sexual encounters with the detainee inside the facility, including in a janitorial closet, while enlisting other detainees to act as lookouts. He also smuggled gifts into the facility to maintain the relationship. The case was uncovered when investigators obtained recordings of phone calls between Courvelle and the detainee, prompting his resignation.

Orange County experienced significant federal deportation enforcement operations beginning in June 2025, with ICE agents targeting day laborers, car wash workers, and people at immigration court proceedings. The sweeps sparked widespread protests, prompts from local governments to create immigrant aid funds, and complaints from officials and advocates that agents were targeting vulnerable immigrants rather than serious criminals. A notable case involved Narciso Barranco, a Tustin landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines, who was violently arrested in June and later released; his case drew national attention and congressional testimony.

In September 2025, ICE made approximately 17,500 at-large arrests. Government data shows that more than 60 percent of people detained in at-large arrests since June lack criminal convictions or pending charges. The weekly rate of at-large arrests in September 2025 was more than four times the weekly rate from Trump's first term.

Federal officers are targeting immigrants in communities through at-large arrests. Data shows ICE made approximately 17,500 at-large arrests in September 2025. More than 60% of people arrested since June have no criminal convictions or pending charges. ICE made more than four times as many at-large arrests per week in September 2025 compared to Trump's first term.

Malik Velimetov, 21, born in Turkmenistan but raised in Key West, was taken into custody by US Border Patrol on December 28, 2025, while traveling with his family on US 1 in Marathon. He was detained for a month at Florida's immigration detention center in the Everglades due to his pending asylum case and was released with an electronic monitor. His family, including his parents and 17-year-old sister, were also taken into custody and separated from him.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids across California's Central Coast from December 26-31, 2025, detaining more than 100 people. DHS stated all 118 arrested were criminals including sex offenders and burglars. Immigrant rights advocates reported 147 total detentions and stated that authorities engaged in racial profiling in predominantly Latino working-class communities. The operations resulted in family separations during the holiday season.

Arturo Rafael Brito Goncalvez, a 22-year-old Venezuelan pilot, was detained by ICE during a scheduled immigration appointment in Westerville, Ohio. His family claims he entered the country legally in 2023 with valid visas and employment authorization. He is fighting deportation and fears returning to Venezuela due to political persecution.

Federal agents arrested a daycare teacher in Chicago in front of parents and children, with witnesses reporting she was violently taken away despite having a work permit. In a separate incident in Los Angeles, immigration agents arrested a U.S. citizen during a Home Depot raid and drove away in his car with his 1-year-old daughter still inside before the child was retrieved by family.

Marwan Marouf appeared before Immigration Judge Abdias Tida after 60 days in ICE detention. He accepted deportation rather than continue fighting his case.

Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE in Baltimore and transferred to Louisiana. A Maryland judge ruled she cannot be removed. She presented a birth certificate and other citizenship documentation. The administration disputed her citizenship claim.

A video circulating on social media shows an ICE agent using force on a pregnant woman in Minneapolis. Witnesses can be heard shouting that the woman is pregnant as the agent drags her.

An unconfirmed ICE sighting was reported on July 3, 2025 in Anaheim, California. According to the alert, ICE agents in a white van were observed circling a Target parking lot and a nearby Quick Quack car wash, with reports indicating they picked up several people. The agents were reported to be moving southbound along Euclid Street toward a 7-Eleven gas station.

Anne Arundel County Police contradicted the Department of Homeland Security's account of a Christmas Eve ICE shooting in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Police stated that one of the individuals identified as a passenger in the van was actually already in ICE custody in a separate vehicle at the time of the shooting, contradicting DHS's account. ICE agents fired at a white van after the driver, Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, allegedly attempted to run them over during a targeted immigration enforcement operation.

Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizens, was detained by ICE on Christmas Eve while shopping. Vargas-Loya was waiting for her DACA renewal to be processed and had no new criminal charges against her. Arizona elected officials and immigrant advocates responded to the detention.

ICE agents stopped a U.S. citizen named Said Mohamed during a traffic stop and demanded he prove his citizenship. Mohamed repeatedly asked why he was being stopped. Agents cited the vehicle's possible connection to individuals without legal status. After showing his ID, Mohamed was allowed to leave. ICE agents confronted a woman outside her home and demanded she provide ID to prove U.S. citizenship. When questioned, agents claimed to have a warrant for an unspecified target at the address but refused to present it.

ICE has detained more than 100 people in small, cramped hold rooms inside the federal courthouse in Central Islip since January 2025, according to a Newsday analysis of federal data. Detainees reported sleeping on floors next to open toilets, being packed so tightly they could not lie down, lacking access to showers and medical care, with some held for up to 72 hours despite the rooms being designed for brief single-person detention.

Fatima Issela Velazquez-Antonio, 23, was detained by Customs and Border Patrol agents at her job site in Raleigh in November and transferred to a Georgia federal detention facility. She was released from ICE custody and returned to North Carolina on December 23, 2025. Velazquez-Antonio, who has lived legally in the U.S. since age 14 fleeing gang violence in Honduras, has valid work authorization and no criminal record, and her case remains pending.

Donna Hughes Brown, an Irish citizen and permanent U.S. resident, was released from ICE detention after nearly five months. She had been detained in July due to two misdemeanor charges from over 10 years ago for writing bad checks. Her case gained national attention after her husband testified before Congress and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem promised a review.

Marcos Flores, bassist for local band Summer of Peril, was detained by ICE on December 23 while attempting to pick up a visitor's badge at Colorado Springs Air Force Academy. Flores, who was brought to the U.S. as a young child from Mexico, has been held at Aurora ICE Detention Center with his bond request denied despite community support and legal efforts. His case was affected by a federal policy memo reversing protections against no-bond detentions.

A federal judge in Charlotte ruled that ICE violated a man's due process rights by unlawfully detaining Mostafa Said, an Egyptian asylum seeker, during a routine check-in. The judge ordered immigration officials to hold a bond hearing for Said within 48 hours. Said had been released on humanitarian parole after entering through the U.S.-Mexico border and was arrested in Charlotte and transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.

Donna Hughes-Brown, a green card holder who has lived in the U.S. since age 11, was detained by ICE upon returning from a trip to Ireland to visit relatives. She was held for nearly 5 months over two overdrawn checks totaling less than $80 that she had written over 10 years prior. She was released last week and stated she will not visit Ireland again until becoming a full U.S. citizen due to fear of deportation.

U.S. Army veteran Zahid Chaudhry, a green card holder and disabled veteran, was released from ICE detention at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma after being held for approximately four months. A federal judge ordered his release following a habeas hearing on December 22, 2025. Chaudhry had been detained since August 2025 when he was taken into custody at a citizenship interview. DHS made allegations of criminal history misrepresentation, which were disputed by his family.

Donna Hughes-Brown, a 59-year-old Irish green card holder, was detained by ICE for nearly five months after arriving in Chicago from Dublin in July. She was arrested on moral turpitude charges related to two bounced checks totaling less than $80 from over a decade prior, cited under President Trump's amendments to immigration law. Hughes-Brown was initially held at the airport before being transferred to Campbell County Detention Centre in Kentucky, where she reported poor conditions. She was eventually released and reunited with her family in Missouri, avoiding deportation. Hughes-Brown stated she would not return to Ireland until becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Jose Gonzalez, a 53-year-old Mexican national who worked as a maitre d' at an upscale Palm Beach restaurant for 20 years, was detained on December 10 during a traffic stop and held at Alligator Alcatraz detention facility. Gonzalez was transferred to Krome Detention Center on December 22. He had a pending asylum application and valid work permit at the time of his detention.

Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, a Maryland father, was shot by ICE on Christmas Eve. He is currently detained and ICE is allegedly denying him proper medical attention for his injuries.

ICE agents deployed pepper spray into a vehicle containing a Columbus mother and three U.S. citizen children near Easton Mall in late December. The mother claims the agents sprayed into her open car window without warning, causing burns to her and her children's eyes. ICE claimed the agents used spray to clear a path, but video evidence obtained by NBC 4 shows the agents had not activated police lights before deploying the spray. A woman reported that a federal agent sprayed into her car, causing distress to her three children in the back seat. She published the suspected agent's photo on social media and requested public help identifying him. DHS was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of reporting.

Karla, an activist who publicly exposed medical neglect of a lesbian woman with cancer detained in Eloy, has herself been detained at the same facility. Activists are demanding her immediate release, protection from retaliation, and access to her hormones while in detention.

Miguel Garcia Pazaran and his wife Dulce Maria Trejo Segura were pulled over by immigration agents while driving to work in Hillsboro, Oregon and detained without proper clothing. The couple was taken to a detention center in Tacoma and deported to Mexico within eight days, leaving behind their 2-year-old daughter Sofía, who is a U.S. citizen.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have collaborated on a data-sharing program since March 2025 to identify and detain individuals with deportation orders at airport security checkpoints. The program has resulted in several high-profile cases, including the detention of college student Any Lucía López Belloza and DACA recipient Catalina Santiago, raising concerns about due process violations and civil liberties.

As ICE enforcement increased in the Twin Cities, thousands of trained "legal observers" organized to document federal immigration enforcement actions. Protesters and observers film arrests and gather information about agents. ICE claims protesters are interfering with law enforcement and assaulting agents. The confrontations have involved force by both sides. Civil rights advocates have filed lawsuits alleging ICE violations.

ICE agents arrested a Honduran mother and her two children, including a 4-year-old U.S. citizen, at a check-in appointment on December 20, 2025. The family was detained in hotel rooms for 18 days across multiple locations, including near LaGuardia Airport and Alexandria, Louisiana, during which they had minimal contact with the outside world. They were briefly placed on a plane to Honduras before being taken off due to a federal judge's temporary restraining order blocking their deportation, and were eventually released on January 7, 2026.

A family is calling for the release of an Arlington man detained by ICE, citing the health condition of his son.

Nenko Gantchev, 56, a Bulgarian national who lived in Chicago for 30 years, died on December 16, 2025, while in ICE custody at North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, which is operated by GEO Group. He was arrested in September 2025 during an immigration enforcement operation. His family reported he had deteriorating health conditions including type 2 diabetes. His death prompted calls from family and a congresswoman for an immediate investigation.

The Miccosukee Tribe is pursuing legal challenges against the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigrant detention facility in the Everglades, arguing that Florida's acceptance of $608 million in federal funds for the facility strengthens their case. The Tribe contends the facility was constructed unlawfully on public lands without required environmental review and poses risks to their 11 villages and the fragile ecosystem. Multiple lawsuits have been filed opposing the detention center, including claims regarding inadequate legal access for detainees and lack of federal authority for state operation.

A volunteer legal observer was detained by ICE agents for eight hours on January 11th while legally observing ICE enforcement activities at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis. During the detention, the observer was pepper-sprayed and roughly handcuffed, then held without charges. The observer was released around 6:45pm and subsequently shared her experience with a crowd gathered at the federal building.

More than 560 students missed school in Willmar Public Schools on Monday due to rumors of an ICE enforcement operation. School officials quickly reassured families that schools were safe spaces and would not be entered by immigration agents. The rumors were based on federal authorities later identified as Homeland Security Investigations agents, not ICE, who had detained five or six people in the area over the weekend.