Human Impact Project

Wilson Andres Hernandez De Leon was re-detained on January 28, 2026, after previously being released on bond or conditional parole under immigration law. The court found that his re-detention violated due process because the government failed to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention and required future pre-deprivation hearings if the government seeks to re-detain him.

Multiple protesters were detained and injured during an anti-ICE demonstration at the Eugene Federal Building on January 27, 2026. Federal officers deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bangs, detaining at least nine demonstrators. Several protesters reported injuries including bruises, hyperextended limbs, and eye injuries sustained during the law enforcement response.

ICE officers conducted an immigration enforcement operation in the Eastside neighborhood of Santa Barbara on January 28, 2026. A masked ICE officer pepper-sprayed a community member who was documenting the activity, an incident captured on video. One person was detained by ICE, though the detention was reportedly unrelated to the pepper-spray incident.

A video shared on Instagram shows a man in New Prague, Minnesota arguing with suspected federal agents who questioned him about his citizenship status. The post's caption characterizes the interaction as racial profiling and harassment.

Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man, died at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey after suffering a medical emergency less than a day after being detained. An ambulance transporting him to University Hospital was delayed by 5 minutes as officials prioritized allowing a van of new detainees into the facility. Brutus was one of 23 people to die in ICE custody during the year.

A viral video shows dozens of detainees held in overcrowded conditions at ICE's Baltimore Field Office, with individuals standing, sitting, and lying in close quarters without beds, bathrooms, or hygiene products. Detainees report being held for up to 10 days in a facility designed for short-term processing, with allegations of beatings and inadequate food and medical care. The footage has reignited concerns about detention conditions amid an ongoing federal lawsuit alleging poor treatment and constitutional violations.

The National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention organized nationwide "Free Families" vigils on January 28, 2026, calling for an end to family detention and ICE funding. The action was prompted by the detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father by ICE in Minneapolis, who were subsequently sent to the South Texas Family Detention Center in Dilley. The coalition demands an end to family detention, citing documented abuse and neglect in detention centers. Children's Defense Fund–Texas and local advocates organized a vigil at Austin City Hall to protest family detention at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, following ICE's transfer of five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father from Minneapolis to the facility. The vigil is part of a national call to end family detention, with U.S. Representatives conducting an oversight visit of the facility and advocates citing conditions including medical neglect, hunger, and inadequate access to clean water. Approximately 40 women detained at Karnes County Residential Center in Texas participated in a five-day hunger strike to protest detention conditions, low wages ($3/day), and lack of bond opportunities. The women, many of whom fled to the U.S. due to safety concerns, ended the strike and gave ICE 10 days to release them. Participants and their children were placed in solitary confinement in the medical wing as retaliation for the strike. Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from Ecuador and his father Adrian Conejo Arias were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley after their arrest in Minneapolis. U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the facility and called for their release, noting the child's deteriorating mental health. During protests on January 28, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers deployed pepper spray and pepper ball projectiles against demonstrators, resulting in two arrests. Dozens of migrant families held a protest at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, demanding freedom and opposing federal immigration enforcement tactics. The demonstration was sparked by attention to 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by ICE in Minnesota and transferred to Dilley. A federal judge blocked their deportation, and on Wednesday, lawmakers and community leaders planned to call for their release and urge more humane enforcement practices. Scripps News interviewed parents detained at an ICE family detention center in Dilley, Texas, including Aury Cadena, who spent 50 days there with her three children despite a 20-day legal limit for children in detention. Detainees filed hundreds of complaints about inadequate medical care, including long wait times for medical attention and concerns about emergency response capabilities. Cadena, who arrived seeking asylum from Venezuela in 2023 and was arrested at a scheduled check-in appointment in December, was eventually released with ankle monitoring as her deportation case continues.

Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse, on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. The shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement operation. Bystander videos and witness testimony showed Pretti holding only a phone before officers tackled and shot him. Officers failed to provide immediate first aid; a pediatrician attempting to assist was initially prevented from helping. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is investigating. This was the second fatal shooting by immigration agents in Minneapolis within a month.

Federal prosecutors charged 14 people with crimes related to alleged assaults on immigration agents during Trump's immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. The charges include spitting, throwing objects, blocking vehicles, and resisting arrest during confrontations at Roosevelt High School, the Whipple Federal Building, and other locations. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted defendants' names and photos on social media before charges were unsealed, prompting concern from a federal judge who noted defendants are presumed innocent.

Anderson Tumin-Rivas, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national living in southern Arkansas, was detained by ICE after showing up for a scheduled immigration check-in appointment in Little Rock on January 22, 2026. He is now held in Winn Parish, Louisiana, awaiting deportation to Guatemala. Tumin-Rivas had been living in the U.S. under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program and was married with a young son.

A 40-year-old man was arrested by federal agents in the lobby of the Bolingbrook Police Department on January 28, 2026, after being approached by agents conducting an immigration enforcement action at his home. The man fled the scene, allegedly ramming an agent's vehicle, and then drove to the police station to report the encounter before being arrested by federal agents in the lobby.

On January 28, 2026, ICE agents conducted an early morning enforcement operation at the intersection of Salinas and Carpinteria Streets in Santa Barbara's Eastside neighborhood, near Franklin Elementary School. During the operation, ICE agents pepper-sprayed and physically pushed multiple residents who had gathered to document the activity. Community members, including Beth Goodman who was distributing ICE resource information, witnessed and recorded the incident. At least one woman was sprayed while documenting the operation, and a man in a yellow sweatshirt escaped arrest. Santa Barbara Police Department and firefighters responded to provide medical assistance and help de-escalate the confrontation. An unknown number of individuals were detained by ICE, and no arrests were made by local police.

Two former detainees at a Florida immigration detention center testified that they faced punishment for seeking legal advice. The detainees provided accounts that they faced retaliation for attempting to access legal representation while in custody.

Hagop Chirinian, a non-citizen surfer, was released after being detained for four months following an accidental trespass onto Camp Pendleton beach. A federal judge ordered ICE to release him, ruling the agency violated its own protocols by detaining him despite knowing he could not be deported, as Lebanon refused to accept him. Chirinian had been living under an order of supervision with a work permit for nearly 30 years without additional convictions.

Rosa Barrera, an 18-year-old, began caring for her three younger siblings after ICE detained her parents at their workplace. She is fundraising for legal representation to help reunite with her parents, while also managing household bills and caring for her sister who has autism and requires medical support.

ICE agents approached and questioned a woman in a Walmart parking lot, asking if she was born in the United States, in an incident captured on video that circulated online. A Native American legal rights group alleged that the individual involved, identified as Jose Roberto Ramirez, was being retaliated against by ICE.

Armenian Interior Ministry spokesperson Narek Sargsyan confirmed that some Armenians who were deported from the United States were transported back to Armenia. According to Armenian journalist David Galstyan, the deportees were flown via charter jet from Texas to the east coast, then to Bucharest, and finally to Yerevan. The exact number of deportees was not specified.

Lorenzo Agustin Ramos, who entered the United States around 2010, was detained by ICE on January 27, 2026, without any warning, paperwork, or legitimate reason according to his petition. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his immigration detention. The federal court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release, also restraining authorities from re-detaining him without proper notice and a pre-detention hearing.

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff's investigation has uncovered over 1,000 credible reports of human rights abuses in immigration detention facilities. The investigation revealed abuse of pregnant women and children, medical neglect, and denial of adequate food or water for ICE detainees. Sen. Ossoff released a new report documenting patterns of these abuses as part of an ongoing probe into conditions in U.S. immigration detention.

Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations raided multiple Zipps Sports Grill locations across Phoenix on January 27, 2026. As agents departed the 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard location, an agent pepper-sprayed approximately 50 protesters who were standing on the sidewalk and not impeding the vehicles. The protesters, including at least one person who fell to the ground in pain, had not been blocking the agents' departure.

The Department of Homeland Security filed court documents claiming that critical surveillance footage from ICE's Broadview detention center was never recorded, rather than lost as previously stated. The footage from October 20-31, 2025 was sought as evidence in a class action lawsuit by detainees alleging subhuman conditions including insufficient food and water, extreme temperatures, poor sanitation, and abusive officers. DHS also argues the footage would be irrelevant because conditions have since improved.

An ICE agent was recorded spraying pepper spray down a residential street. The agent was shouting while deploying the chemical in multiple directions. No identifiable threat or crowd was present at the time.

Fong Khang, a Cambodian immigrant, was pardoned by the Minnesota Board of Pardons on January 20 for convictions from nearly 20 years ago. Less than 24 hours later, ICE detained him, threatening his ability to remain in the United States. The article also describes the case of Sithy Yi, a Cambodian genocide survivor and refugee, who was detained by ICE after 10 years of compliance with immigration instructions.

A Chula Vista family of four was reunited after both parents, Reinaldo Chirino from Venezuela and Kris Estefany Pineda-Torregosa from Colombia, were released from ICE custody following more than two weeks of detention in late January. The parents were detained after dropping their children at school, leaving their two young sons in the care of a family friend. One parent was released after a judge granted bond, and the couple is now fighting their removal case while being monitored with ankle bracelets.

Jose Cruz Santos was unlawfully detained by ICE despite having no prior encounters with immigration authorities. A federal court ordered his release under the same conditions that existed prior to detention (no conditions), but ICE released him with monitoring and reporting requirements. The court voided the ICE order and prohibited any conditions on his release, criticizing the agency for knowingly disregarding the judicial order.

U.S. Army Captain Josie Guilbeau, a 17-year veteran and decorated Intelligence Officer, was arrested for peacefully protesting ICE outside Greg Bovino's hotel. The arrest occurred while she was protesting alongside community members using non-violent methods such as banging pots, blowing whistles, and honking horns.

Immigration agents attempted to detain landscapers in Downey, California, leading to a physical altercation that was captured on video. The landscapers resisted the detention, wrestling with the agents during the incident.

A 25-year-old US resident was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop on the west side of San Antonio, just a block from his home. The agents initially claimed he was in the country illegally, but after running his fingerprints in custody, they determined he was a legal resident and released him. He suffered injuries including a head injury and pepper spray burns, and his three cousins were deported to Mexico the following day.

EWS | Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided a Foggy Bottom restaurant in a GW-owned building Wednesday afternoon, detaining and questioning several people, the University confirmed Friday. Officials said in a Federal Updates email Friday that agents detained “a number of individuals” from Circa, located across the street from the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro stop, but did not specify how many and said they have no information suggesting any are affiliated with GW. Friday’s announcement followed a Thursday post by the Immigrant Liberation Coalition at GW, which alleged that ICE pulled between six and 15 people from the restaurant during the raid, detaining some and checking immigration papers of others. York Van Nixon IV, Circa at Foggy Bottom’s senior general manager, declined to comment on the raid or answer questions about the incident and the number of employees ICE detained. A spokesperson from Circa Bistros, which operates Circa at Foggy Bottom, did not immediately return a request for comment on the raid. A University spokesperson declined to comment on when the University learned of the raid, why officials did not issue a GW Alert and whether ICE contacted GW — which owns the building Circa operates in — ahead of the raid.

A group of detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center filed a federal lawsuit alleging cruel and inhumane conditions, including denial of medical care, adequate nutrition, outdoor access, and excessive solitary confinement. Four named plaintiffs remain detained at the facility, and the lawsuit was filed by Public Counsel, CHIRLA, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

A congresswoman faced criminal charges for visiting ICE detainees at a detention facility. The incident involved Congress members demanding the release of detainees, including Newark mayor Ras Baraka. The article examines the criminalization of congressional oversight of immigration detention practices.

ICE agents detained Mayra Vaca Latacunga, 25, a single mother from Ecuador, after stopping her car while she was getting groceries in Biddeford, Maine on Friday, January 24, 2026. The detention left her five-year-old daughter Keyli Camila Espin Vaca without a caretaker. Vaca Latacunga, who entered the U.S. two years ago fleeing domestic violence and works in Maine's seafood industry, has no criminal record. She was transferred to Massachusetts and held for several days before being released on Tuesday with an ankle monitor and reunited with her daughter.

A 22-year-old man's father was detained by Border Patrol on January 26th. The son is fundraising to cover his father's legal costs and living expenses.

Heidy Sánchez was separated from her one-year-old daughter during an immigration appointment when ICE agents took the child away while she was breastfeeding. Sánchez was subsequently deported to Cuba and remains separated from her daughter and American husband eight months later.

A Democratic state representative is demanding a public hearing regarding the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez by a federal ICE agent in South Padre Island, Texas. Authorities claim Martinez intentionally ran over an agent before being shot. There was an 11-month delay in revealing federal involvement. Rep. Ray Lopez invoked a House rule to demand transparency about the incident.

The Howard County Police Department confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers removed a person from a vehicle near Route 175 and Tamar Drive in Columbia on Saturday morning. Police responded after receiving a 911 call and spoke with witnesses, but stated they had no additional information about the driver or the reason for the detention.

Federal immigration agents conducted a raid at a Home Depot in Downey, California on a Saturday, with video showing agents leaving as people ran through the area. Local authorities did not specify whether anyone was detained or why the store was targeted.

Mirian, a legally present resident of the United States who recently graduated from college, was followed by ICE from Westbrook to Scarborough, Maine. She was ordered to pull over during a traffic stop and was subsequently detained by ICE. Her family is seeking community support for her release.

ICE agents detained a father driving his two-year-old son to daycare in Shoreline, Washington. The child was left alone in the vehicle surrounded by armed agents for approximately 30 minutes while waiting for a family member to pick him up. Community volunteers arrived at the scene and documented the incident while supporting the child until a family friend arrived to take him to the father's workplace.

An Instagram post by california4vanessaguillen highlights the case of Deiver, a child in detention at the Dilley Center in Texas. The post calls for community members to contact their representatives and Congress to advocate for his release so he can return to school and participate in a spelling bee.

ICE conducted multiple enforcement operations in Tucson on Friday, January 23, 2026, arresting three Venezuelan asylum seekers in front of an elementary school and detaining employees at a restaurant. The operations also included briefly questioning a city worker. Officials expressed concern about the escalation.

A protester was arrested outside an Orlando ICE facility during a rally against mass deportation after placing their hand on a vehicle at the facility's entrance. Witnesses reported law enforcement tackled and arrested the protester. The demonstration was related to concerns over ICE's authority to enter homes without judicial warrants.

Francoise Makuiza, a 32-year-old asylum seeker, was arrested by ICE on Friday morning while leaving for work at an assisted living facility in Portland. According to her attorney, Makuiza has no criminal history in Maine, has lived there for over 12 years, is the mother of a U.S. citizen, and was previously granted refugee status by Colombia after fleeing genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her detention is part of an ICE enforcement surge that has resulted in more than 200 arrests in Maine, including asylum seekers complying with immigration officials and immigrants married to U.S. citizens.

Texas Monthly taco editor José R. Ralat was pulled over three times while on assignment in West Texas, including once by ICE agents near Presidio. Ralat noted that he and his driver are both Hispanic and that all the officers who stopped them were also Hispanic.

Anthony Paredes, an 18-year-old deaf high school senior at Ramon Cortines School for Visual and Performing Arts, was detained by Department of Homeland Security immigration officers on January 24, 2026, during a protest outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles. Officers chased and tackled Paredes after he did not respond to verbal commands; bystanders informed officers he was deaf, but he was taken into custody without a sign language interpreter provided. Paredes was held for several hours before being released and ordered to appear in court on April 1st. He alleged the officers used excessive force and took advantage of his disability.

A former ICE detention officer named David Courvelle pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing a woman while she was in federal custody at an ICE facility in Louisiana over several months. Courvelle faces up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

A protest broke out at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley when detainees, many of them children, chanted "Libertad" after guards ordered attorneys to leave. The demonstration was triggered by concerns over the treatment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken into custody with his father in Minnesota and transferred to the facility. An immigration attorney present described the facility as operating with harsh conditions, including contaminated drinking water and meals containing debris.

On January 24, 2026, detainees at the South Texas Family Residential Centre in Dilley, Texas staged a coordinated protest, with women and children in color-coded jackets chanting "Let us go" and "Libertad." The facility, operated by ICE, holds approximately 1,200 people, roughly one-third of them children. The protest was reportedly triggered by the arrival of a five-year-old who was allegedly used as bait during a federal arrest in Minnesota.

A protest occurred Saturday at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley when detainees, including many children, demonstrated in solidarity with 5-year-old Liam Ramos who was taken into custody in Minnesota. Attorneys were ordered to leave the facility as approximately 80 percent of detainees poured into open areas chanting "Libertad" (Freedom). Detainees expressed concerns over the child's treatment and the circumstances of his apprehension from a car in his family's driveway.

ICE agents have been leaving cards on the vehicles of undocumented immigrants as an intimidation tactic, often containing messages implying threats of imminent deportation. These cards create severe anxiety and distress within immigrant communities, potentially violating legal protections. The article discusses the psychological impact, legal implications, and recommendations for those receiving such cards.