Human Impact Project

A former worker at the Baltimore ICE detention facility provided internal documents and testimony describing severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and mistreatment of detainees. The whistleblower described detainees packed tightly together, inadequate sanitary supplies for women, blankets covered in filth, and staff making dehumanizing comments. The worker claims they were terminated after reporting these conditions to supervisors.

A federal judge in Louisiana ordered the immediate release of four men who were unlawfully re-detained by ICE after living in their communities for months or years while checking in regularly with the agency. The judge found that ICE failed to provide justification for the re-detention, failed to demonstrate deportation was likely, and violated due process rights. All four men were released and had been held at an immigration detention center at Angola prison.

Children detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas are experiencing poor conditions including contaminated food, minimal education, inadequate medical care, and psychological distress. The facility has detained approximately 1,800 children since April 2026, with some families remaining for over six months. Cases document children suffering from illness, malnutrition, behavioral regression, and trauma while separated from normal living conditions.

A dog was left alone and frightened after his adopter was encountered by federal immigration officers and hospitalized, then prevented from contacting anyone. A hospital social worker alerted the Humane Society of Huron Valley, which rescued the dog. The adopter's current immigration status and whereabouts remain unknown.

ICE agents entered a San Antonio home on Thursday while searching for a 34-year-old man with an arrest warrant for illegal reentry. Homeowner Maggie Guillen recorded videos showing armed agents entering without presenting a judicial warrant, with women and children present. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro called for an investigation into the incident.

ICE agents detained at least 100 asylum seekers and refugees in Minnesota and transported them by air to detention facilities in Texas for questioning and reprocessing, with some released without documentation, money, or phones. During enforcement operations across multiple cities, federal immigration agents used facial recognition technology via smartphones and professional cameras to photograph and scan faces of people, including bystanders and activists, often without consent. The practices have sparked panic in immigrant communities, with residents afraid to seek medical care, send children to school, or leave their homes. Civil rights groups are challenging the facial recognition program through lawsuits and legislation, citing Fourth Amendment privacy violations.

According to the article, Palestinians arrested by ICE are being deported to the West Bank in coordination with Israel. The deportations involve individuals being transported on private jets belonging to an Israeli-American tycoon with connections to Trump, with detainees bound and shackled during transport.

In March 2025, ICE agent fatally shot 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez on South Padre Island, Texas, after he allegedly failed to exit his vehicle. The agency's involvement was not publicly revealed until nearly eleven months later. Bodycam footage shows the vehicle with brake lights engaged when three shots were fired through the window. Martinez was removed from the car and restrained before receiving medical care, but died at a Brownsville hospital. A grand jury declined to indict the agent. ICE states the shooting was justified.

Organizations across Florida, including immigrant rights groups and the ACLU, released a travel advisory urging tourists and visitors to reconsider attending the World Cup in Miami due to deportation risks. The advisory mentioned concerns about immigrants being caught in enforcement operations during the event.

Godfrey Wade, a 65-year-old lawful permanent resident and Army veteran, was deported to Jamaica on February 5, 2026, after a removal order issued in 2014 based on two misdemeanor convictions from 2006 and 2007. Wade says he was unaware of the 2012 removal hearing because notices were sent to an incorrect address and returned by the Postal Service. He was arrested during a traffic stop in Georgia in September 2025 for driving without a license—which he could not renew due to green card renewal delays—triggering immigration enforcement that resulted in his deportation after 52 years in the United States.

An analysis by the League of Women Voters of Kentucky found that ICE detained 1,041 individuals in Kentucky jails as of February 2026, more than double the 434 held in September 2025. Nearly 72% of detainees have no criminal record or pending charges. Five county jails are operating at or above capacity while housing these detainees.

Luis, a 53-year-old Mexican immigrant handyman, was detained by ICE for over three months at a Conroe-area detention center after being arrested in October 2025. He was granted bond and released on February 5, 2026, following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal. While released, Luis faces an ongoing court case with possible deportation, as he has lived in the U.S. without legal status for 25 years while raising five children and establishing himself as a homeowner and community member.

Hundreds of high school students organized a peaceful march from City Hall to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center on February 5, 2026 to protest ICE raids. LAPD in riot gear formed skirmish lines and charged at the students multiple times throughout the afternoon, resulting in at least two arrests. Officers were documented using force against minors, including throwing students to the ground and striking a protester with a baton, while ICE agents were observed coordinating with LAPD at the detention center.

A joint investigation by +972 Magazine and The Guardian revealed that ICE chartered a private Gulfstream IV jet owned by Florida property developer Gil Dezer, a Trump associate and donor, to deport Palestinian men from the United States to the West Bank. At least two flights occurred on January 20-21 and February 1-2, 2026, transporting eight or more deportees from an Arizona detention facility through New Jersey, Ireland, and Bulgaria before reaching Tel Aviv and ultimately the West Bank. Among the deportees was 24-year-old Maher Awad, a long-term green card holder who had lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade and had a newborn son in Michigan. The men were shackled throughout the multi-country journey and reported being abandoned at checkpoints with minimal resources. Former U.S. officials and immigration lawyers characterized the flights as marking a shift in Trump administration deportation policy toward more aggressive mass deportation tactics.

Beth Jackson, a Twin Cities resident, was detained by federal officers and faced subsequent action after documenting ICE agents. The detention occurred while she was recording immigration enforcement activities.

Two Minnesota school districts and the state's teachers' union filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to revoke a policy that prohibited ICE and Border Patrol agents from conducting enforcement activity at schools and sensitive locations. The suit alleges that immigration agents have staged enforcement operations from school parking lots, pulled over district vans, and detained people at or near schools, bus stops, and daycare centers.

Two Afghan brothers with pending asylum claims were detained by ICE during a routine check-in with the Alternatives to Detention unit on Tuesday morning. Mohammad Emran Kohistani and Mohammad Sajad Kohistani, who presented themselves at the U.S. border in 2023 and were released on their own recognizance, were told they were not "appropriately vetted" at the border. Their attorney filed an emergency habeas petition and temporary restraining order, with a federal court hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Federal ICE agents conducted arrests in downtown Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on February 4, 2026, targeting individuals in vehicles. Witnesses reported the arrests involved agents smashing windows and forcibly removing people from cars.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday barring federal immigration officers from making warrantless arrests without determining that a person represents a risk of escaping or fleeing. The ruling came after Innovation Law Lab lawyers presented videos in court, including footage of a November immigration stop involving a Cottage Grove woman who holds a permanent residence card and works as a Spanish interpreter for local police.

A Houston-area high school student was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Students at the school held a rally in response to the student's detention. ICE subsequently released a statement regarding the incident.

Godfrey Wade, a Jamaican-born lawful permanent resident and U.S. Army veteran who had lived in the United States for over 50 years, was arrested in September 2025 for driving without a license and subsequently detained by ICE. Wade was subject to a 2014 removal order stemming from charges from 2006-2007, though his attorney claimed he was never notified of the 2014 hearing that resulted in the order. Despite appeals and his attorney's request to reopen the case, Wade was deported to Jamaica on February 4, 2026, after nearly five months in ICE custody.

Julien Pereira, a 26-year-old French tennis coach, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol and ICE after being denied entry to Canada while awaiting work visa paperwork. He spent a month in an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he experienced shackling, inadequate food and water, and harsh conditions before being released on bail and ordered to leave the U.S. within 15 days.

Ivan Garcia, a father and North Venice Little League community member, was detained by ICE while attending a scheduled immigration appointment related to his citizenship case. He was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover legal fees and living expenses, with community support from the local youth sports league.

Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were following their vehicles in south Minneapolis on Tuesday. At least one person wearing anti-ICE clothing was handcuffed face-down on the ground.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 206 people in Maine during a multiday operation last month. Maine Public is tracking several of these cases using interviews, court records, and reporting from other media outlets to provide information about those detained.

One-quarter of students in the Greenport school district stayed out of school on Wednesday following reports of ICE presence and arrests in the community. Latino community leaders reported that three longtime residents with no criminal records were arrested by federal immigration agents.

A woman reported that ICE agents attempted to kidnap her twin brother, a Black American man, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. According to the account, agents rammed into his pickup truck and chased him without apparent reason. The family is seeking public awareness of the incident.

Rodney Taylor, a 46-year-old double amputee from Liberia who arrived in the U.S. at age two on a medical visa, has been detained by ICE for over a year. He was taken into custody 10 days after proposing to his fiancée, despite being pardoned in 2010 for a crime committed at age 19. His health and prosthetics are deteriorating during detention, and he was preparing community health services before his arrest.

A Natalia high school junior attended what was supposed to be a routine U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in appointment in San Antonio to update his photograph. The appointment resulted in his arrest and detainment, leaving a toddler and stepfather behind for months.

A federal judge ordered the release of Ta Eh Doh Lah, a Burmese refugee mother who was detained by ICE while breastfeeding her five-month-old baby and awaiting heart care. The court ruled her detention was unlawful, noting she had no criminal record, complied with immigration requirements, and applied to adjust her status on the first day eligible. The court also blocked Operation PARRIS across Minnesota, preventing the arrest or detention of refugees solely because they are awaiting status adjustment.

Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student, and her mother were released from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas after nearly a month in ICE detention. The child and her mother were taken by immigration agents in early January. School officials and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called for their release at a news conference on February 3, 2026.

In February 2026, in anticipation of ICE raids on the Haitian community in Springfield, OH, local Haitian leaders describe how their community is living in fear and taking precautions including keeping children home from school, avoiding being out on the street at night, and carrying several forms of ID.

An attorney stated that ICE arrested a mother. The attorney noted that ICE enforcement priorities differ from focusing on individuals with criminal records.

Igor Babkin, a 33-year-old Russian asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally on parole to pursue his asylum claim, was arrested by ICE on February 3, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment near San Antonio International Airport. Babkin has been detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall. Reports indicate inadequate medical care and harsh conditions at the facility.

Steven Saari, a Marine Corps veteran, was detained by federal immigration agents at the scene of Alex Pretti's killing in Minneapolis on February 3, 2026. During his six-hour detention at a federal building, agents collected his biometric data, forced a DNA sample, and copied his cell phone without a warrant or authorization. Saari was denied access to an attorney despite repeated requests and was released without charges.

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is considering a potential ban on ICE arrests conducted during green card interviews. This case addresses whether immigration enforcement should be permitted at official immigration benefit interviews.

Federal immigration agents arrested Carlos Chavez, a community member and father of three, during a food distribution event at North Hills United Methodist Church in the San Fernando Valley. Church leaders say Chavez was helping with children's ministries and was chased across the parking lot by armed agents in masks. Following the incident, the church moved its food ministry and after-school programs online.

ICE conducted "Operation Guardian Sweep" enforcement actions on Oklahoma tribal lands without warning tribal leaders, who learned about the operations through social media instead of federal officials. Tribal leaders accused federal agents of racial profiling and stopping people without reasonable suspicion, arguing the actions violate tribal sovereignty and that tribal citizens are categorically outside immigration jurisdiction.

Oscar Isidro, a U.S. citizen from North Texas, was found dead last month after being missing for two weeks. His death came amid family trauma, including his father's deportation to Peru the previous year and his sister's detention by ICE.

ICE agents smashed the windows of a car and arrested a man without a warrant while his wife held their crying baby and pleaded with the agents. During the arrest, the man briefly escaped from the ICE van while still wearing handcuffs.

Federal immigration agents detained an employee at NATIFS, an Indigenous-focused nonprofit restaurant in Minneapolis owned by chef Sean Sherman, outside the restaurant on February 2, 2026. Agents blocked a vehicle carrying staff members, pulled the employee from the car at gunpoint, and stated they were checking paperwork. The employee was transferred to Texas overnight without access to needed medication and without the family being notified in advance. Chef Sherman stated the employee had legal documentation and characterized the armed enforcement as inappropriate.

An Instagram post announces a protest planned for the following day at 1930 Beach Street at noon in response to Gonzales v Noem allegations. The post states that federal authorities are charging people for protesting.

American volunteers in Springfield, Ohio converted spare bedrooms and basements into safe houses to shelter Haitian families after the Trump administration moved to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) effective February 3, 2026. A federal judge blocked the termination on February 2, keeping TPS in place while litigation proceeds. Approximately two dozen immigrant families were sheltered through the network.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several residents in Hudson County, New Jersey on Sunday using unmarked vehicles. An ICE agent told a city councilman that warrants are not needed to conduct their operations. Local officials reported that ICE arrested at least three people, including two workers at local businesses, without advance notification to local police.

Federal ICE agents were present outside the Ventura County Sheriff's Office on Monday, February 2, 2026, where protesters and observers had gathered. During the encounter, an ICE agent threw a woman to the ground and subsequently used pepper spray on the crowd. Witnesses stated they were documenting the ICE operation and posed no physical threat to officers. At least one person was detained during the incident. The woman who was thrown to the ground declined to speak about what happened.

The Trump administration released hundreds of detainees from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, placing them under government supervision with ankle monitors as an alternative to detention. A Venezuelan mother and her son, who were detained for two months after an ICE check-in appointment, were released to Laredo after refusing a $5,000 offer to leave the country. Released detainees must continue periodic ICE check-ins. The detainees reported detention conditions including worms in food and denial of medical care.

A federal appeals court is reviewing whether ICE can resume detaining undocumented spouses at USCIS green card interviews, following a 2024 injunction that barred such arrests in the Fourth Circuit. The case centers on whether ICE's practice of arresting immigrants immediately after approved marriage-based green card interviews violates due process and the provisional unlawful presence waiver program designed to help undocumented spouses obtain legal status.

ICE agents conducted enforcement operations at Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station in Jersey City Heights and Hoboken on Sunday morning, detaining several people. An ICE officer was recorded telling a city councilman he did not need a warrant to make arrests. The incident prompted community meetings and responses from local leaders.

Jose Lozano, a 28-year-old Worthington resident with a valid temporary permit allowing him to remain in the U.S. for five years, was detained by ICE agents on February 1, 2026, while attempting to jumpstart his minivan. Lozano, who arrived from El Salvador as an asylum seeker ten years ago, was working as a mechanic and attending college when detained. He was being held in a Minneapolis detention center with a hearing scheduled for February 28, 2026, though an earlier bond hearing was possible.

Federal ICE agents made arrests near the Jersey City-Hoboken border on Sunday morning without advance warning to local police. Multiple detentions occurred at the 9th Street Light Rail Station in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, with at least two people seen being taken into unmarked vehicles. Local officials stated that residents have rights, including the right to refuse entry without a judge-signed warrant.