Human Impact Project

Eri was detained by ICE and is being held at T. Don Hutto Detention Center. His sister Andrea, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, organized a fundraiser to pay for immigration legal representation and secure his release so he can fight his case at home with family rather than remain detained.

Kadeen Hunt, brought to the United States from Jamaica on a tourist visa at age 6, was detained by ICE for several months and is now facing removal proceedings. Hunt has five U.S. citizen children, one of whom is autistic and requires special support. Without legal representation, Hunt faces imminent deportation and family separation.

ICE conducted operations in Bluffton, South Carolina that resulted in the detention of over a dozen individuals. Witness footage showed nearly 20 men being escorted into a detention van. According to immigration attorney Amy Deverard, those arrested were not criminals but were detained on administrative warrants, with many caught as collateral while authorities pursued others. Families report uncertainty about their detained relatives' locations and immigration proceedings.

Jose Ortega, a 38-year-old bank employee and father figure to his stepdaughter, was recently detained by ICE and is being held in custody pending court proceedings. His spouse, Don Williams, launched a fundraiser to cover legal expenses, attorney fees, and bond costs to fight for his release and bring him home to his family in Phoenix, Arizona.

ICE detained six individuals in the Rogue Valley region of Southern Oregon between May 19 and May 29, 2026, marking a significant escalation in enforcement activity—the first notable surge since July 2025. Detentions occurred in public places including outside Jackson County Circuit Court, near parks, at workplaces, and during traffic stops. Community volunteers with Rogue Valley Migra Watch documented the incidents and tracked ICE vehicle sightings in the area.

The ACLU, civil rights organizations, and individual detainees filed a federal lawsuit against ICE and DHS challenging conditions at Camp East Montana, the largest immigration detention center in the U.S., located at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. The complaint alleges physical abuse by guards, inadequate medical care, solitary confinement, disease exposure including a measles outbreak, and nearly 50 violations of detention standards. At least three detainees have died since the facility opened nine months prior, including a Cuban immigrant ruled to have died from asphyxia due to neck and torso compression. Named plaintiffs Navdeep, a former mail handler, and ZOR, a father detained over eight months, detailed specific conditions including contaminated water, inadequate drinking water access, breathing problems from desert dust, lack of medical care, and family separation.

ICE agents conducted an enforcement action in Santa Paula, California, where they removed a man from his truck in a parking lot and tasered him while he was on his way to work. According to community witnesses, agents pinned the man down as he screamed in pain, refused to provide formal identification, and threatened to mace neighbors who were documenting the incident.

ZOR (pseudonym used for privacy) has been detained at Camp East Montana for over eight months. He is a parent separated from his young children. He is a named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit challenging detention conditions including inhumane treatment, medical neglect, disease outbreaks, and family separation. He states the facility operates in a lawless manner despite guards being charged with upholding the law.

Approximately 300 immigrants detained at Delaney Hall, a privately operated ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, launched a hunger and labor strike beginning May 25, 2026, to protest conditions including spoiled and expired food, inadequate medical care, overcrowding, filthy bathrooms, lack of hot water, and denial of medical treatment. Detainee Elder Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant, suffered a head injury after slipping in the shower and was placed in isolation rather than receiving proper treatment. Martin Soto, arrested by ICE four months earlier while buying diapers, remained detained despite a judge blocking his removal from the facility. Detainees reported retaliation by facility staff, including beatings, solitary confinement for strikers, and confiscation of personal items. The facility, operated by Community Education Centers, faced scrutiny for a pattern of medical neglect and rights violations.

Federal immigration officials conducted a weeklong enforcement operation from May 24-30, 2026 in Sevier County and surrounding East Tennessee areas, resulting in 117 arrests. The operation was carried out by ICE in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. Officials stated that some of those arrested had prior criminal charges including theft, domestic assault, DUI, and other offenses, with some facing potential federal charges including illegal reentry.

Miguel was arrested by masked, unidentified ICE agents in front of his home after a grocery store trip. He has been detained over 1,000 miles away from his family and has not been seen since. His wife Beatriz is caring for their four children (ages 7 months, 8, 9, and 15) while fighting for his release and managing steep legal costs. Miguel is experiencing emotional trauma, fear of deportation, and respiratory illness from detention conditions.

ZOR, detained for eight months at Camp East Montana, had three teeth broken after being beaten by another detainee while guards watched. Four days after arrival, officers shackled and drove him to the Mexican border, falsely claiming he had been granted asylum, without showing papers or allowing attorney contact. Officers attempted to deport him approximately five times despite a court order prohibiting removal to his country of birth.

Navdeep, a detainee with preexisting injuries that prevent him from putting his hands behind his back, was locked in solitary confinement for appearing to refuse guard orders to do so. He described feeling like a political pawn taken from his job and family and forced into unsafe tent conditions. He is one of four named plaintiffs in the ACLU lawsuit against ICE over Camp East Montana conditions.

ICE officers conducted raids at Don Patron Mexican Grill locations across West Virginia on May 30, 2026, detaining multiple workers. The enforcement action affected at least three locations in Elkins, Weston, and Bridgeport, with a fourth location in Buckhannon also closing as a result. The Elkins location closed the day after the raid.

Nilson Prieto was detained by ICE on November 17, 2025, during his annual check-in appointment. He has been held in three different detention centers in Texas for over six months. His bond request was denied, and his case is currently under appeal with a pending habeas corpus petition. His family has exhausted their resources and is seeking funds for legal fees and basic household expenses.

Navdeep was taken from his job and detained at Camp East Montana tent camp on the Fort Bliss military base. He is a named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit seeking accountability for inhumane conditions including medical neglect, disease outbreaks, violent treatment by guards, inadequate food, and dangerous living conditions. He expresses concern about the lack of oversight and potential cover-ups of deaths and abuses.

Gerald Akari Angye, a 35-year-old former high school teacher from Cameroon who fled after experiencing kidnapping and torture, crossed into the U.S. in December 2024 and sought asylum. After his asylum claim was denied, he was detained at Camp East Montana ICE detention center at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso for over a month. While detained, Angye was severely beaten by guards after requesting to speak with an attorney before signing documents, suffering injuries to his hands and wrists that required a brace and hospitalization. He was subsequently placed in solitary confinement for 15 days. The ACLU of Texas and partner civil rights organizations filed a federal class-action lawsuit against ICE on behalf of Angye and three other named plaintiffs, challenging severe conditions at the facility including violent use of force, medical neglect, disease outbreaks, excessive solitary confinement, and inhumane living conditions.

Erik Ivan Rodriguez was detained at Camp East Montana, a tent detention facility at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. While detained, he experienced physical violence by officers who attempted to coerce him to sign deportation papers. Rodriguez and three other detainees filed a class-action lawsuit through the ACLU of Texas and partner civil rights organizations in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, challenging inhumane detention conditions including medical neglect, disease outbreaks, inadequate food, unsanitary living conditions, excessive solitary confinement, and violent use of force.

Jairo Rossel Mejia-Mencia, a Honduran national, was arrested on May 29, 2026 in Beaufort County as part of a coordinated operation involving ICE, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. He had entered the United States unlawfully, was previously removed, and re-entered the country. He has a pending criminal case for unlawful possession of a firearm and remains in ICE custody while his removal order reinstatement is processed.

Miguel Angel Tercero Raudes, a Salvadoran national who had been living and working legally in the United States for over a decade with a 2023 Withholding of Removal court order, was detained at a routine ICE check-in on May 29, 2026. He is married to a U.S. citizen and is the father of two U.S. citizen daughters. The government has indicated plans to remove him to a third country where he has no family or legal status, in apparent violation of his court-ordered withholding of removal protection.

A 23-year-old South American woman was granted protection from deportation to her home country by an immigration judge in June 2025 after fleeing persecution based on her queer identity. Despite this ruling, ICE has held her in Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana for over a year while seeking to deport her to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country where she has never been and where she would face serious risks.

Chanh Phansisay, a Laotian refugee who arrived as a baby, received an ICE letter around the same time as his uncle Ky Sengdara in March 2026. With legal assistance from the Seattle Clemency Project, Phansisay avoided deportation to Laos, a country he has never known and where he has no meaningful family connections.

Authorities raided a seafood restaurant on Northwest 23rd Street in Oklahoma City, seizing methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, and a firearm. Sixteen individuals were taken into ICE custody during the operation, which is part of a larger investigation into organized crime involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and potential human trafficking related to black market marijuana farms.

Hilary Murungi Timbigamba, a 34-year-old asylum seeker from Uganda, was arrested on larceny charges in Massachusetts in July 2025 while employed at a group home. He was taken into federal custody as he left the courthouse despite being granted pretrial release. Federal Judge Landya McCafferty ruled that his 10-month detention in ICE custody violated his constitutional right to due process because he was deprived of the opportunity to address criminal charges and the evidence presented at his immigration bond hearing was legally insufficient. He was released within 24 hours of the court order.

José Yugar-Cruz, a 37-year-old Bolivian asylum-seeker, was granted temporary release from ICE custody on May 29, 2026, after an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo suspended deportations to that country. An immigration judge had ruled in January 2025 that Yugar-Cruz faced likely torture if returned to Bolivia and granted him withholding-of-removal relief under the Convention Against Torture, yet ICE detained him at an April 2026 check-in appointment and attempted to deport him to the DRC despite his court protection and lack of connection to that country. After being held for 17 months while ICE sought third countries willing to accept his deportation—including Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Mexico, and Canada—Yugar-Cruz challenged his indefinite detention in court in December 2025. The WHO declaration of an Ebola emergency in Congo on May 17, 2026, forced suspension of deportations to that destination, resulting in his temporary release following legal challenges and community advocacy.

On May 29, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a coordinated operation at Myrtle Park Government Center in Bluffton, South Carolina, detaining over 15 people who had failed to comply with deportation orders. The operation involved ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which participated under a 287(g) task force agreement. Detainees were loaded onto a bus for transport to facilities in Charleston or Georgia.

Florida Highway Patrol, in coordination with ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, and multiple state and local agencies, conducted a three-day enforcement operation called Operation 9 along South Florida highways. More than 100 officers from the participating agencies conducted traffic stops, with officers flagging individuals during routine stops for traffic violations and immigration violations, particularly when drivers lacked valid licenses. The operation resulted in 249 detentions, with those arrested processed at an FHP station and transferred to ICE custody, where they were offered voluntary return flights or the option to remain in custody pending immigration hearings.

On January 14, 2026, ICE agent Christian Castro shot Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg through a duplex door during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis. Castro claimed Sosa-Celis and others attacked him with a shovel and broom, but video evidence showed only a brief 12-second struggle and contradicted his account. Sosa-Celis and his roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna were both lawfully present, and federal charges against them were dismissed in February after the Justice Department acknowledged ICE agents made false statements under oath. On May 18, Hennepin County prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Castro was arrested on May 29 by Department of Homeland Security agents and Texas Rangers.

Erick Cristal Cumes was detained by ICE on May 28, 2026, at a Don Patron Mexican Restaurant location in Weston, West Virginia, along with more than a dozen other employees. A habeas corpus petition hearing was held in federal court on June 25, 2026, to determine whether ICE has legal authority to continue holding him. His wife reported poor detention conditions, including spoiled food and limited contact. Jose Cruz Castro was detained by ICE on May 28, 2026, at a Don Patron Mexican Restaurant location in Bridgeport, West Virginia, along with more than a dozen other employees. A habeas corpus petition hearing was held in federal court on June 25, 2026, to determine whether ICE has legal authority to continue holding him.

Jose Luis Leon was detained by ICE on May 28, 2026, while working. He is the primary provider for his family, which includes his wife who has Lupus and two children ages 3 and 14. His family is fundraising to cover legal expenses and support costs during his detention.

ICE conducted enforcement operations in Lake Placid on May 28 and June 2, detaining more than 20 people total. The May 28 raid in a parking lot on Mirror Lake Drive targeted roofers and others, while the June 2 operation stopped seven restaurant employees en route to work. Advocacy groups reported all detainees had work authorization and were legally permitted to reside in the U.S., and local law enforcement stated they were not involved in either operation. All detainees were transported to a facility in Batavia, approximately 300 miles away.

Aldo Garcia was detained by ICE on May 28 at approximately 8:06 a.m. while on his way to work near Highway 99 in Colony Ridge. He has been the primary provider and caregiver for his family since marrying his wife when the subject poster was 7 years old. His detention has left his family of four—including two children ages 8 and 9—in financial and emotional distress as they seek legal representation to prevent his deportation.

A Guatemalan mother and her three children were detained by ICE on May 28, 2026, at a Ferndale facility during what they believed was part of the CBP Home self-deportation process, and were deported to Guatemala on May 30. The family had visited a government office in Tukwila on May 27 as part of the voluntary departure process with a scheduled June 19 departure date. According to her attorney, the mother was told through the CBP Home app that she needed to retrieve her passport and have an exit interview at the Ferndale appointment, but ICE staff later indicated the appointment was specifically intended for detention and removal. The family's 14-year-old son, who entered separately with his father, was left behind.

Under a $7.5 million Trump administration agreement, Equatorial Guinea has detained at least 32 asylum seekers at the Bamy Hotel on Bioko Island since November 2025. All detainees had previously been granted some form of protection by U.S. judges. Twenty-five have been forcibly returned to their African countries of origin—Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Mauritania—where they face persecution, while others remain detained and under pressure to leave. Detainees report psychological distress, inadequate medical care, threats from authorities, and monotonous conditions. Human rights advocates argue the deal exploits a loophole to circumvent U.S. court protections and international asylum norms.

Margoth Paredes, 47, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, and her 14-year-old son Dilan were detained by ICE after being found in a vehicle suspected of involvement in immigrant smuggling. While in custody, Paredes was taken to Cecil Shamley School in Tempe to formally withdraw her son from eighth grade during the final week of classes. The family was subsequently transported to the Dilley Family Detention Center in Texas. Paredes' two older children also remain detained in Arizona, and the detention sparked protests outside the school.

Sister Agnes, a Catholic nun from China who had won asylum in the United States, was detained by ICE earlier this year. Even after she won bond in court, ICE refused to release her and kept her in prison for months. She was eventually released to be with her religious community.

Mauricio Castellanos-Gorra, a Cuban national and lawful permanent resident with a 2004 deportation order, was placed in ICE custody in October 2025 after 21 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Kyle Dudek ordered his release in May 2026 after finding the government failed to meet its burden of proving removal was reasonably foreseeable under the Zadvydas standard. The government did not respond to the court's order requesting details about attempted removals to Mexico.

Gabriel Campos Millan was detained under immigration law 8 U.S.C. § 1225 at Orange County Jail in Florida. The court granted a temporary restraining order on May 6, 2026, enjoining respondents from detaining him and ordering his immediate release if held on immigration charges. Orange County Jail released Millan in accordance with the court order, making the habeas corpus petition moot. Mario Rafael R.A., who entered the U.S. without inspection in December 2022 but was formally paroled by DHS and had complied with all conditions for 3.5 years, was arrested during a routine traffic stop in Oklahoma and taken into immigration custody. He was transferred between detention facilities before arriving at Golden State Annex in California. The court granted his habeas petition and ordered his immediate release, finding his detention without pre-deprivation process violated due process rights.

The ACLU of Wyoming is investigating 287(g) agreements across the state following its lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak, who signed three ICE partnership agreements without county commission approval or public input. The organization has sent records requests to the Wyoming Highway Patrol and seven other counties, with plans to pursue additional lawsuits if investigations reveal similar violations of state law.

ICE arrested Lins Dos Santos-Melo, a Brazilian national, on Interstate 81 in Virginia for operating a tractor-trailer without a required commercial driver's license. Dos Santos-Melo possessed a valid Massachusetts driver's license but lacked the proper credentials for the vehicle he was operating. The arrest was part of ICE enforcement operations targeting undocumented immigrants operating commercial vehicles.

Luis Villalobos, a legal permanent resident who has lived in El Paso most of his life, was arrested by ICE agents on May 27 as he left his driveway for work. Agents claimed there was a warrant but refused to provide documentation. His family is struggling with legal fees and bills.

Marvin Godoy Calderon, a Peruvian immigrant with valid work authorization, was arrested outside his Sunnyside home by ICE agents on May 27, 2026. Officers forcibly removed him from his parked car and pinned him to the ground with multiple agents applying pressure to his neck, shoulders, and arms. He was held for 13 hours before being released.

A woman was detained by ICE in El Monte, California on an unspecified date after being followed from her home to a shopping mall. She was taken into custody at 11 am and transferred to LA County detention, then to Adelanto ICE facility. Her daughter Kandie Cortes is seeking funds for legal representation to fight the case.

A woman was taken into ICE custody while a passenger in a car on her way to a church event. She was reportedly going through the legal visa process and had legal representation. Her family is raising funds to cover immigration lawyer fees, legal filings, and other expenses while fighting for her release, as she is the primary caretaker for her sister who has leukemia and type 1 diabetes.

Dhaval Amratbhai Patel, an Indian national living in the U.S. without authorization, was arrested by Worcester Police on May 16, 2026, for assaulting a customer with a baseball bat at a liquor store where he worked. Local authorities released him from jail without notifying ICE. Federal immigration officials arrested Patel on May 18 after his release. DHS subsequently criticized Massachusetts sanctuary policies for the lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Karliana Yosdeylin Perdomo-Gotopo, a 20-year-old women's soccer player and business major at Cleary University in Michigan, was detained by ICE on May 26, 2026, during a traffic stop in Lincoln Park. Perdomo entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor in September 2022 at age 15, fleeing political persecution in Venezuela, and graduated high school with honors in Detroit in 2023. She had a pending asylum application and her mother believed she held valid Temporary Protected Status documentation through October 2026, though the Trump administration had previously ended TPS protections for Venezuelan nationals. A witness reported the stop appeared targeted based on her Latina appearance. Perdomo was transferred to North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan.

An Associated Press investigation found at least 10 ICE detainees, predominantly Hispanic men from Latin America and one Chinese citizen, have died by suicide since January 2025. The deaths, including Brayan Rayo Garzon who died in April 2025 after being denied mental health treatment and isolation during COVID-19, far exceed historical rates and reveal systemic failures in mental health screening and suicide prevention across ICE facilities. Seven of the 10 deceased had no record of violent crimes in the U.S., and their suicides account for nearly a fifth of the 51 deaths in ICE custody since January 2025.

ICE agents in unmarked gray and blue SUVs conducted a roundup operation in McMinnville, Tennessee on May 27, 2026, detaining multiple people. Initial reports indicated at least 6 people were taken into custody, with subsequent reports showing 11 people detained and one released. Video footage showed agents exiting unmarked vehicles, handcuffing individuals, and approaching workers outside a Lowe's store. Those taken into custody were transported to Putnam County Jail and held overnight before potential transfer to other facilities.

Alina Rosales Aguirreurreta, a physician and daughter of historic Cuban general Ulises Rosales del Toro, was detained by ICE in South Florida in May 2026. She had entered the United States in 2023 on a B1/B2 tourist visa issued at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and was living in South Florida while seeking to regularize her immigration status. ICE confirmed her detention but did not publicly disclose the specific reason for the detention or the facility location.

Herber Aquino, a father of four with no criminal record and an ongoing immigration case, was detained on May 27th by multiple armed, masked agents in unmarked vehicles during a work stop in Riverside. According to accounts, agents surrounded his work truck, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, drew weapons, struck his head, and transported him and his work crew in unmarked vehicles. His family launched a fundraising effort to cover legal defense costs, bond, and living expenses while his wife recovered from childbirth.