Human Impact Project

Data released by the Deportation Data Project shows that nearly half of ICE arrests in Massachusetts between January 20, 2025 and March 10, 2026 involved immigrants without any criminal record or pending criminal charges. According to the data, approximately 45-46 percent of the 7,031 arrests had no criminal record, contradicting Department of Homeland Security statements that 70 percent of arrests involve people with criminal convictions or charges. The actual figure for arrests involving criminal records was approximately 54 percent. The number of ICE arrests in Massachusetts increased fivefold compared to the final 14 months of the Biden administration, during which 26 percent of arrests involved people with no criminal record.

Operation Metro Surge resulted in approximately 1,700 deportations from Minnesota over three months, with 3,000 federal agents involved in the enforcement action. Despite an initial focus on Somali immigrants, only two people were deported to Somalia, while most were sent to Mexico and Ecuador. Many arrested migrants were transferred to Camp East Montana in Texas, a facility criticized for dangerous conditions. ICE activity declined significantly after February 12 when the administration announced the surge's end.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is deciding whether to continue 287(g) agreements that allow local law enforcement to make immigration-related arrests on behalf of ICE. The agreements have drawn criticism from advocacy groups concerned about liability and community trust, while Republican officials argue ending them would compromise public safety. Spanberger has until midnight Monday to make her decision.

Several ICE detainees were hospitalized after suffering heat-related illnesses while being transported by bus in Oklahoma on April 13, 2026. The transport bus, which was carrying detainees to an ICE facility in Watonga, stopped in Canadian County to provide medical assistance. Multiple detainees required hospital treatment for heat-related conditions.

A father named Adith was detained by ICE outside his workplace. He is a working man who provides for five children. His family is seeking financial assistance to bring him home, as the legal process to do so is expensive.

Rev. Yeison Cortes Vasquez, a 46-year-old evangelical pastor at The Gathering Place Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, was detained by ICE on March 20, 2026, while working a food delivery job. ICE cited an overstayed tourist visa from Colombia that expired in 2016, though church members stated Vasquez had an active asylum case and was following legal processes. During his approximately three-week detention at Delaney Hall in Newark, church leaders reported he was denied access to a Bible for at least a week; DHS denied these allegations and stated detainees may request religious items. While in custody, Vasquez ministered to other detainees. Members of Congress visited the facility and raised concerns about detention conditions. Vasquez was released on bond with GPS monitoring while awaiting removal proceedings. The National Latino Evangelical Coalition confirmed he has no criminal record.

A 23-year-old Honduran man granted legal status and work authorization under a federal court settlement for families separated by the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy was arrested by ICE in October 2025 after Louisiana wildlife officers reported him for target shooting in a protected area. Despite possessing valid immigration documents and parole status, he was detained for over five months and issued a deportation order on January 6, 2026. At least 25 other people with similar legal protections have been detained or deported by ICE in recent months. The government has also imposed new $1,000-per-person fees and canceled contracts with legal service providers, violating the terms of the federal settlement agreement. The ACLU filed a motion for his release on April 1, 2026.

Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban national, was found dead on April 12, 2026, hanging from a bedsheet in his cell at Miami Federal Detention Center. He had entered the United States legally in October 2024 under parole after being cited by CBP as an undocumented immigrant. In November 2025, he was arrested in Miami-Dade County on charges of resisting an officer with violence; prosecutors later abandoned these charges. He was transferred to ICE custody on February 11, 2026, and held under a deportation order. He had been diagnosed with anxiety and prescribed medication in March 2026 but reportedly denied suicidal ideation. His death was investigated by ICE as an apparent suicide and was reported as one of at least nine to ten suicides among men in ICE custody since Trump returned to office in January 2025, and the second reported suicide in Florida ICE custody within a month.

This is a policy and institutional timeline article tracking Houston Police Department's evolving cooperation with ICE from January 2025 through April 2026, including multiple unnamed incidents and policy changes. It documents departmental directives, mayoral statements, city council actions, and disputes over immigration enforcement coordination.

The Trump administration launched the CBP Home app and Project Homecoming, promising free flights and $1,000 exit bonuses to immigrants willing to self-deport. Multiple immigrants, including a Venezuelan mother named Pérez, registered through the app but were not provided promised plane tickets or departure assistance, leaving them stuck in the U.S. despite following the administration's stated process.

ICE deportations in Central Texas are destabilizing families financially, with wives and daughters left as primary breadwinners facing foreclosure, utility shutoffs, and collapse of family businesses. The article focuses on Bricia, a 43-year-old cancer patient whose husband was detained by federal immigration agents, leaving the family unable to pay back taxes, utilities, and facing potential home foreclosure.

Operation Metro Surge, a controversial ICE enforcement operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul, began December 1, 2025, and deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents. The operation resulted in over 4,000 arrests and included two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens—Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti—in January 2026. The deaths, along with evidence of racial profiling and excessive force, sparked intense community protests and criticism from state and local officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. A federal judge denied Minnesota's lawsuit challenging the operation on 10th Amendment grounds, though acknowledging evidence of misconduct. Following sustained public pressure, more than 1,000 ICE agents were withdrawn from Minnesota beginning in February 2026, effectively ending the operation.

Jose Luis was detained by ICE in January 2026 while riding his bike in California. He has lived in the United States for nearly 20 years and is the father of two children, ages 13 and 8. He was held at the Adelanto detention facility. His family organized a fundraiser (Kermes) in Garden Grove, California in April 2026 to raise funds for his legal expenses and release. Activists visited him in detention during this period.

Andriy Shepitsen, a 46-year-old Ukrainian man, has been detained in ICE custody since December 2025 at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami. Despite being prescribed medications for bipolar disorder, major depression, and ADHD, detention staff denied him these drugs for over four months. In February 2026, Shepitsen began a hunger strike to protest detention conditions, which lasted 60 days and resulted in a 46-pound weight loss, causing him to develop life-threatening hypotensive shock and requiring hospitalization. He reported suicidal thoughts multiple times during his detention. Advocacy groups including Amnesty International USA and the ACLU of Florida demanded emergency medical intervention and his release.

The United States and Costa Rica implemented a bilateral third-country deportation agreement, with the first group of 25 migrants deported to Costa Rica in April 2026. The migrants were citizens of Albania, Cameroon, China, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, and Morocco. Under the agreement, Costa Rica will receive up to 25 deportees per week. The U.S. provides financial support, while the International Organization for Migration offers food, accommodation, and temporary humanitarian legal status for the first seven days.

The Trump administration revoked the lawful permanent resident status of several Iranian nationals and detained them via ICE enforcement actions in Los Angeles starting in early April 2026. Detainees included Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife Maryam Tahmasebi, their son Seyed Mobin Hashemi, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, and Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, a researcher removed from her position at Emory University. The Hashemi family were relatives of Masoumeh Ebtekar, who served as spokeswoman during the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran. Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were claimed to be relatives of slain Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, though both women and Soleimani's family denied any familial connection. Soleimani Afshar, who suffers from a severe blood disorder, was denied medical treatment while detained. Secretary Marco Rubio announced the coordinated enforcement action, stating the individuals should not have been permitted lawful permanent resident status given their connections to the Iranian government.

Annie Ramos, a 22-year-old Honduran-born immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a toddler, was detained by ICE on April 7, 2026, at Fort Polk military base in Louisiana while attempting to register for military benefits and file immigration paperwork following her marriage to Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank. Ramos was a college student with no criminal history who had applied for DACA status in 2020, though her application was never processed. She was subject to an outstanding removal order issued in 2005 after her family missed an immigration court hearing. After being held for nearly a week at an ICE detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, Ramos was released and ordered to wear a GPS monitor while removal proceedings continue.

Tania Warner, a 47-year-old Canadian citizen with a valid U.S. work visa through 2030, and her seven-year-old autistic daughter Ayla Lucas were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on March 14, 2026, at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 77 near Sarita, Texas while returning from a baby shower. Despite presenting valid documentation including her work visa and Social Security number, both were taken into custody and transferred through multiple detention facilities including Rio Grande Valley Central processing center and Dilley Immigration Processing Center. During their approximately three-week detention, the family experienced inadequate healthcare, food shortages, health issues from harsh cleaning detergents, and insufficient education for the child. They were released on April 2-3, 2026, after posting a $9,500 bond. Warner was fitted with an ankle monitor and now faces immigration hearings and ongoing ICE check-ins; she plans to file a lawsuit alleging unlawful detention and harm to her daughter.

A federal judge in Los Angeles ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop using coercive language to pressure unaccompanied immigrant children to self-deport, ruling the practice violated a 40-year-old court mandate. Beginning in September 2025, DHS had advised detained minors they would face prolonged detention if they did not leave the U.S. and threatened to prosecute their sponsors. The judge rejected the government's request to end the longstanding safeguards protecting children's due process rights, citing language that "disturbingly mirrors" coercion documented in a 1985 case that established these protections.

Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican national, died on April 11, 2026, at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana while in ICE custody. He was arrested by ICE on January 8, 2026, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and transferred to the Louisiana facility on January 13, 2026. Cabrera was found unresponsive during a security check and transported to Winn Parish Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 8:51 a.m. He had received treatment for high blood pressure and other medical conditions during his months of detention. The coroner determined his death resulted from natural causes due to cardiovascular disease.

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, an unarmed U.S. citizen. Six federal prosecutors from the Minnesota U.S. attorney's office and four leaders of the DOJ's civil rights division resigned in protest after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon declined to open a civil rights investigation into the shooting, despite career prosecutors' offer to lead an inquiry. By April 2026, the incident was cited among factors contributing to reduced international tourism confidence in the United States, alongside concerns about expanded ICE enforcement at airports and TSA staffing shortages.

Two migrants—one from Cuba and one from Yemen—were deported to Eswatini on July 16, 2025, as part of a group of five men sent to the country. Roberto Mosquera, the Cuban, was arrested by ICE at a routine immigration check-in in Florida on June 13, 2025, and deported without notice. Both men have been imprisoned in Eswatini's Matsapha Correctional Centre in isolation with no charges filed and initially no legal representation permitted. Their attorney states they have already served their U.S. sentences and are being held indefinitely while awaiting repatriation. In April 2026, after nine months of detention, Eswatini's Supreme Court ruled they have the right to meet with a local lawyer, a right previously denied. Civil society organizations have threatened legal action challenging the legality of their detention under Eswatini law.

Dr. Rubeliz Bolívar, a Venezuelan emergency medicine resident at South Texas Health System in McAllen, Texas, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at McAllen International Airport on Saturday morning while traveling with her 5-year-old U.S. citizen daughter to California for a scheduled asylum case appointment. Dr. Bolívar holds a valid work permit through 2030 and has an active asylum case and pending green card application. She was transferred to ICE custody at El Valle Detention Center. CBP stated she had overstayed her visa since 2017. Her daughter was placed in the care of a relative. Dr. Bolívar missed an asylum interview appointment her husband, Milenko Faria, was scheduled to attend. ACEP and EMRA have advocated for her release and called for a national-interest exemption for physicians.

Enrique Morales Reyes, a noncitizen previously released on bond, was re-detained by ICE on April 10, 2026, following notification that he had been convicted of driving under the influence on December 3, 2025. Reyes had a prior DUI arrest in 2012 and was arrested again for DUI on June 14, 2024. The court ordered that Respondents provide Reyes a bond hearing within fourteen days before an immigration judge, with the government bearing the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger to public safety. If no hearing is provided within fourteen days, Reyes must be immediately released on the same terms as his previous release.

José Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), was detained by ICE in March while driving through Montana and coerced into signing voluntary departure forms. He was deported to Honduras on April 10 despite having SIJS and deferred action status that should have protected him from removal. A federal judge ordered DHS to return him to the U.S., finding he was denied due process and not allowed access to his attorney for over 10 days.

Jose David Luis Paraiso, who has resided in the United States since he was 14 years old, was detained by immigration authorities on April 10, 2026 and held at the Adelanto Detention Facility. ICE charged him with being inadmissible as someone who entered without inspection, despite having an approved Form I-360 for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status with a current priority date. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered he be given an individualized bond hearing within seven days.

Four men from Cuba, Yemen, Laos, and Vietnam were deported by the U.S. to Eswatini in July 2025 under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program, despite having no connection to the country. As part of a $5.1 million agreement between the U.S. and Eswatini to accept deported migrants who cannot easily be returned to their home countries, the men were held at a maximum-security prison and denied in-person legal counsel for nine months. After the Eswatini government appealed a lower court's decision granting them access to a lawyer, the Eswatini Supreme Court ruled in April 2026 that the men have the right to meet with legal counsel, rejecting government claims that they showed no interest in representation. The men had completed their U.S. prison sentences but remained detained in Eswatini without being charged with any crime there.

A federal grand jury in Boston indicted 10 Indian nationals for conspiring to stage armed robberies of convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast food restaurants to help store clerks falsely claim victim status on U visa applications. The defendants, most of whom were residing unlawfully in the United States, face up to five years in prison and deportation. The investigation stems from an earlier case against organizer Rambhai Patel and driver Balwinder Singh, both convicted in May 2025 for carrying out at least six staged robberies beginning in March 2023.

The Trump administration announced a new ICE operation targeting networks that help pregnant foreign nationals come to the U.S. to give birth so their children can obtain citizenship. While giving birth in the U.S. is not unlawful, federal regulation prohibits using temporary visas for the primary purpose of obtaining citizenship for newborns, and violators could face fraud or related criminal charges. The administration characterizes birth tourism as a cost to taxpayers and national security threat, though DHS acknowledges the practice itself is not explicitly illegal.

A family of four from the Durham, North Carolina area—Genesis (11), Denis (6), and their parents—was detained by ICE agents during a scheduled immigration appointment in Charlotte on April 10, 2026, and deported to Honduras within 48 hours. The family had been seeking asylum since 2022 after arriving from Honduras and had complied with immigration requirements for four years with no criminal record. ICE cited a final removal order based on a missed immigration hearing and unauthorized entry. Advocates including Siembra NC and relatives disputed the circumstances, arguing the family was following the asylum process and did not receive adequate due process or time to seek legal representation. The rapid deportation prompted responses from Durham Public Schools, local lawmakers, and community protests.

Three Democratic members of Congress conducted an unannounced inspection of an ICE detention facility at Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona on April 9, 2026, and documented severe overcrowding conditions. The facility held approximately 250 people in a space designed for 157 detainees. Individual rooms designed to hold 21 people contained 40-50 detainees forced to sleep on concrete floors in shoulder-to-shoulder conditions that exceeded fire code capacity. Detainees reported fevers and heat with limited access to medical care, sanitary facilities, and toilets shared among dozens of people. Some detainees had been held for multiple days despite the facility's 12-hour maximum capacity limit. The lawmakers sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security requesting information about the facility conditions.

A report from the Deportation Data Project shows that deportations increased five-fold and street arrests by immigration enforcement agents rose eleven-fold during the first year of the current presidential administration compared to the end of the Biden administration. ICE arrests more than quadrupled overall, with eight times more arrests of people without criminal convictions. Daily detention beds holding people arrested in the United States quadrupled from approximately 14,000 in late 2024 to around 57,000 in January 2026.

Federal officials have detained or deported at least 25 people whose families were granted temporary legal status under a 2023 court settlement stemming from the Trump administration's 2017 family separation policy. The government has violated key terms of the settlement by imposing a $1,000 per-person fee, stopping payments to contractors assisting with family reunification, and detaining and deporting individuals who were supposed to be protected under the court order.

Malunda Destino has been detained by ICE in New Hampshire since August 2025 while his asylum case is pending. A federal court ordered him to receive an individualized bond hearing due to due process concerns. Destino has been separated from his newborn son and family, and ICE attempted to deport him but a stay was obtained after community fundraising paid for appellate representation. Destino has also reported degrading treatment by ICE agents while in detention.

A 50-year-old Mexican man named Jesús died in late February after avoiding hospital care out of fear of ICE detention and deportation. His wife attributes his death to harsh U.S. immigration policies. He remained bedridden at home despite declining health and was only taken to a hospital when it was too late. He left behind four children, including one minor.

Kennedy Orwa, a PhD student in the University of Washington's Information School researching AI applications in health systems, was detained by Customs and Border Protection at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on April 7 and deported the following day along with his 13-year-old son. CBP claimed Orwa had previously worked without work authorization, though Orwa was not allowed to consult with a lawyer before being put on a flight to Kenya. UW stated it had connected Orwa's family with legal resources and contacts at relevant embassies.

A person named Abad was detained by immigration authorities in Corona in a warrantless stop. An advocacy account is requesting support for Abad and his family as they work to bring him home. Abad Jimenez Romano was detained by ICE on April 8 around 6 AM while traveling to a new job in Corona, California. According to the post, he has no criminal record and has been in the country for over 20 years. His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise support.

The U.S. attorney's office in D.C. suspended processing of U visas for immigrant crime victims throughout most of 2025, creating barriers for victims who cooperated with police or prosecutors. The suspension increased distrust of law enforcement among immigrant communities, even as ICE arrest levels in the city subsequently declined.

The Trump administration is detaining DACA recipients at increasing rates, treating them as deportable despite their protected status. The article documents cases of multiple DACA holders detained for months, including some with no criminal records, and highlights how long renewal processing times and mandatory detention policies are creating uncertainty for the roughly 600,000 DACA recipients in the U.S.

Mauro Yosueth Henriquez, 18, a senior at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston and varsity soccer team co-captain, was detained by ICE on December 16, 2025, during a routine immigration check-in with his father. He was held at multiple ICE facilities including Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe and Livingston before being transferred to federal detention. After nearly four months in custody, Henriquez was deported to Honduras in February 2026. His detention prompted Houston students to organize protests calling for his release so he could graduate with his class. Elected officials and Houston-area Democrats responded to the case, while Texas Republican leaders declined to comment. Mauro Yosueth Henriquez, a senior captain and midfielder on the Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center soccer team, and his father Mauro Rigoberto Henriquez were detained by ICE on December 16 and are reportedly held at a detention center in Conroe. The younger Henriquez is also a volunteer soccer coach in the community. Neither has a criminal record according to Harris County District Clerk's Office, and both are originally from Honduras. Community members organized a protest on Tuesday evening calling for Henriquez's release so he can graduate with his class. Mauro Henriquez, an 18-year-old senior and soccer team captain at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston, was taken into custody by ICE along with his father while attending an immigration meeting in early December 2025. Henriquez and his father, both from Honduras, were seeking asylum in the U.S. and have been detained at Montgomery Processing Center for over 50 days. Henriquez is an A and B student who has lived in the U.S. since grade school and serves as a volunteer soccer coach at his church. Christian Jimenez, a 17-year-old US citizen and senior at McMinnville High School, was detained by ICE officers after they smashed the window of his father's car during his lunch break. Despite repeatedly asserting his citizenship, an officer broke the car window and ordered him out of the vehicle. Jimenez was taken to an ICE facility in South Portland and held for several hours before being released that evening. Authorities later attempted to charge him with interference or obstruction of investigation.

Eight immigrants and advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleging that ICE agents routinely conducted warrantless arrests and detentions without reasonable suspicion, in violation of constitutional protections. The complaint describes plaintiffs being detained during routine activities including while traveling to work, on the street, and during traffic stops, with some transferred between detention facilities out of state before formal documentation was provided. The lawsuit also alleges that enforcement actions disproportionately targeted Latino communities in New York.

Nelson Gustavo Medina Ardila, a Colombian national who entered the U.S. in 2022 with his girlfriend and child, was detained by ICE at his asylum interview in Tustin on April 9, 2026. He had been living in Compton and appearing for immigration court hearings until they were terminated, then applied for asylum directly with USCIS. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention without notice or a hearing violated due process.

Dayerlin Serrano Ordonez, a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. in 2023, was granted withholding of removal to Venezuela in February 2025. On April 9, 2026, he was detained by ICE during a routine check-in. His wife was informed that authorities intended to remove him to Africa, despite his withholding protection. The court issued a habeas petition order requiring respondents to show cause why the petition should not be granted and ordered advance notice of any removal.

ICE has been accessing Maryland's driver's license database to identify and target immigrants for deportation. State Sen. Clarence Lam raised concerns about the practice, calling for legislative action to protect residents' data from being used for immigration enforcement.

Hayam El Gamal, a mother of five detained at the Dilley Immigration Detention Center in Texas, was taken to the emergency room on April 9 after weeks of being denied medical care for an abnormal chest growth. She had been requesting a CT scan since February 17, but center officials repeatedly denied the referral, instead offering only ibuprofen and generic advice. When finally taken to the ER, she rated her pain as 11 out of 10. The ER CT scan revealed fluid around her heart (pericardial effusion), and the ER doctor recommended an ultrasound, which DHS, ICE, and CoreCivic subsequently denied. Three independent physicians reviewed her case and concluded that ICE and CoreCivic are systematically denying her medical care and that her condition poses an urgent threat to her health and potentially her life. El Gamal and her four minor children have been detained at Dilley for over 10 months, far exceeding the 20-day legal limit for detaining children.

A 17-year-old Hispanic minor was detained by ICE agents at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota, during Operation Metro Surge. Federal Judge Eric Tostrud concluded that the minor was detained solely because of his race or ethnicity, without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The incident is part of an ongoing ACLU lawsuit challenging ICE's racial profiling practices in Minnesota.

A 24-year-old Hispanic man and City University of New York graduate was arrested by federal agents on his way to the Long Island Rail Road in Hempstead. He was released from federal custody after lawyers filed an emergency lawsuit challenging his arrest. The incident is part of a class action lawsuit filed by civil rights organizations alleging that ICE is unlawfully arresting immigrants in New York based solely on race or ethnicity.

A 36-year-old Hispanic man was arrested by federal agents while entering his apartment building in Bushwick, Brooklyn, after coming home from work. He was released from federal custody after lawyers filed an emergency lawsuit challenging his arrest. The incident is part of a class action lawsuit filed by civil rights organizations alleging that ICE is unlawfully arresting immigrants in New York based solely on race or ethnicity.

Juan Carlos Quintero, 41, was arrested by federal agents in three unmarked cars while watching a game of dominos in Staten Island after saying he did not have an ID. He was released from federal custody after lawyers filed an emergency lawsuit challenging his arrest. The NYCLU, Make the Road New York, and the Legal Aid Society filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of eight immigrants, alleging that ICE is unlawfully arresting people in New York based solely on race or ethnicity.

Javier Rodriguez Gonzalez, a Mexican national who entered the U.S. as a child in 1989, was arrested by ICE on April 9, 2026, after reporting to the Santa Ana Enforcement and Removal Operations office. He is married with six U.S. citizen children and has a pending application for adjustment of status. The court granted his request for an individualized bond hearing while denying his request for immediate release.