Human Impact Project

During court testimony in an immigration detention case, ICE officers revealed they were assigned an unwritten quota to arrest at least eight people daily as part of a temporary task force in Portland. A woman identified as MJMA was arrested without a warrant in Woodburn, detained, and released the next day without conditions. Immigration lawyers are challenging what they call an unlawful dragnet operation, arguing officers arrested the woman without probable cause.

Federal ICE agents arrested a U.S. citizen Somali woman born in Edina near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday. According to her cousin, agents zip-tied her, mocked her hijab, and touched her inappropriately before taking her to Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. She was released Thursday after more than 24 hours in custody once her husband provided her passport card proving her citizenship.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained an American citizen woman during an immigration enforcement traffic stop near mile marker 103 in Key Largo on Wednesday morning. Video footage shows agents forcefully removing the woman from her vehicle, wrestling her to the ground, and handcuffing her after discovering her boyfriend was in the country illegally. The woman, who was wearing medical scrubs, was released approximately 10 minutes later after agents verified her U.S. citizenship through her driver's license. The operation resulted in 14 undocumented immigrants being arrested for deportation proceedings. The incident was recorded by a Miami Herald reporter.

Benton County, Arkansas has seen over 450 ICE arrests from January through October 2025 through a 287(g) cooperation program. The program has resulted in detentions and deportations of individuals arrested on various charges. Legal permanent resident Cristina Osornio was detained on an ICE hold after a traffic stop for minor violations, while her husband was deported to Mexico after a misdemeanor arrest.

Viktoriia, a Ukrainian woman married to a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE on December 4, 2025, immediately after completing a marriage-based Green Card interview at the USCIS San Diego Field Office. She had been living legally in the U.S. under the Uniting for Ukraine program and had no criminal history. ICE cited that her Temporary Protected Status was not current, though she had applied to renew during the designated renewal period in January and the case was pending. Igor Babkin, a 33-year-old Russian asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally through parole and was following all required procedures, was arrested by ICE on February 3, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment. Babkin had fled Russia, been detained by Mexican security forces, and entered the U.S. under Biden-era parole to pursue his asylum claim. He has been held at a privately operated ICE detention facility in Pearsall while his attorney argues the detention violates due process and is purely punitive.

Narcisa Andundia-Carillo, an asylum seeker from Ecuador who fled extortion and death threats, was detained by ICE on December 3, 2025 during a routine check-in at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco. Despite having no criminal record and consistently appearing for immigration hearings, ICE alleged she missed a July 23, 2025 check-in that was not visible on her application. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring her immediate release and prohibiting re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing.

In December 2025, 250 Border Patrol agents were deployed to New Orleans as part of Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month crackdown aimed at making 5,000 arrests. The deployment prompted widespread community organizing and the formation of Ojos, an ICE-watch group that trained residents to document and report agent activity through a coordinated WhatsApp network, enabling undocumented residents to make informed decisions about movement.

In December 2025, the Border Patrol deployed approximately 250 agents to New Orleans as part of Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month crackdown aimed at making 5,000 arrests. Within the first eight days, federal agents arrested 250 people, over 90 percent of whom had no criminal record. The operation prompted community organizing and the formation of activist groups like Ojos to monitor and document ICE activity.

Federal immigration agents stopped a woman driving in Key Largo and forcibly removed her from her vehicle despite her stating she was a U.S. citizen. After agents pulled her from the car and handcuffed her, they found her driver's license in the vehicle and confirmed through their system that she is a U.S. citizen. She was released shortly after.

A 23-year-old U.S. citizen mother was chased by Border Patrol agents near her home in Marrero while walking from a store on Wednesday. The encounter was captured on video and occurred during an enforcement operation called "Catahoula Crunch" in the New Orleans area. The woman told agents twice that she was an American citizen before running into her parents' home, where agents stood outside for several minutes.

Associate pastor Ruzana Nehonde, 49, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in at the Burlington field office in November 2025 and transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana facing deportation to Zimbabwe. Despite having no criminal record, an adult son with U.S. citizenship, a pending green card application, and nearly three decades of residence in Massachusetts with a history of ICE compliance, she was taken into custody. Her church community in Stow has rallied to support her and is collecting donations to help cover household expenses.

Francisco Gaspar Cristóbal Andrés, a 48-year-old who worked in the U.S. for 20 years, died on December 3rd, 2025 after being detained by ICE for 93 days. His wife Lucía Pedro Juan was deported while Francisco was detained, and they were separated by ICE officials despite her pleas to see him. The post references allegations of mistreatment during detention.

Angelica Martinez Chavelas, a Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in 2015 and was released on parole under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), was re-detained by immigration officials on December 2, 2025, after missing mandatory check-ins. She had voluntarily presented herself at an ISAP appointment when she was taken back into custody. The court ordered her immediate release, finding the re-detention violated due process because she was not provided notice or a hearing before being detained.

Amnesty International documented allegations of human rights violations at Florida immigration detention facilities, including the Everglades Detention Facility and Krome North Service Processing Center, following increased enforcement actions since January 2025. The report details allegations concerning torture, enforced disappearances, prolonged detention, and poor detention conditions affecting migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. The findings document increased immigration enforcement and the involvement of state and local authorities in federal immigration enforcement through 287(g) agreements.

ICE agents stopped a U.S. citizen, smashed her car window, and forcibly removed her from the vehicle despite her having a valid passport. The agents read her passport, determined she was a citizen, and left the scene. The incident was witnessed by the woman's child who called 911 during the encounter.

A man being chased by ICE agents in St Paul, Minnesota was struck by their vehicle. Witnesses reported that medics transported the man on a stretcher with his face and body covered, though police claimed he was still alive. The incident status was described as developing.

Faith leaders in New York are calling for the release of Allan Dabrio, a gay asylum seeker who was detained by ICE during a green card interview. Advocates report that ICE has not provided Dabrio with prescribed medication for anxiety and depression while he has been in detention.

Kevin Ntabo, a Kenyan-born father of four living in Washington state, was detained by ICE at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December 2025 after returning from Kenya where he attended his father's funeral. Officials flagged his immigration status as irregular upon arrival. He is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, awaiting a court hearing scheduled for March 17, 2026, that will determine whether he will be deported or allowed to remain in the United States with his family. Humberto Martinez was deported by ICE to Mexico while his daughter Jessica Martinez, a U.S. Navy sailor, was deployed to the Middle East. Jessica learned of her father's deportation while already overseas in Tijuana. The family was separated by the two simultaneous government actions, leaving Jessica's sister to manage the household while their father remained in Mexico awaiting return to the United States. Patricia Balbuena Soto, a New Jersey resident who had lived in the United States for approximately 30 years since age 19, was arrested on July 24, 2025, by Atlantic City Police on charges including criminal mischief and property damage. She was transferred to ICE custody on July 25, 2025. According to DHS, Balbuena Soto had been previously removed from the country four times and illegally reentered a fifth time, which constituted a felony. She was deported to Mexico on August 5, 2025, leaving behind her teenage daughter and other family members in the United States.

A second-grade student in Vermont was detained by ICE during the Thanksgiving holiday period. The incident involved the detention of a minor by immigration enforcement authorities.

Juan Chavez Velasco, a 35-year-old DACA recipient and medical laboratory scientist, was arrested by ICE agents while driving to visit his premature newborn daughter in intensive care on February 18, 2025. Despite having active DACA status at the time of arrest and no criminal history, ICE agents detained him at Webb County Detention Center. His DACA status expired while in detention, and he was separated from his newborn and hospitalized wife.

Two protesters were charged with felony assault after blocking an ICE operation in lower Manhattan on Canal Street. The protesters formed a human chain and used garbage cans and planters to prevent ICE agents from leaving a garage. A total of 18 people were arrested during the chaotic protest, with two facing felony charges for injuring officers.

Carlos, a Venezuelan national with temporary protected status, was lured to an ICE office in New Mexico under the pretense of discussing reunification with his two children who had been in federal shelter for nearly a year. Upon arrival, ICE officers detained him, stripped his clothes, seized his belongings, and chained him. His children remain in government custody while his reunification case is on hold. The incident is part of a broader Trump administration initiative using migrant children to arrest their parents or caregivers.

A man with temporary protected status arrived at an ICE office in New Mexico in December after being told his case for custody of his children was complete. Officers detained him, forcing him to remove his clothing and chaining him by the neck, waist, and legs after he refused to sign documents he did not understand. His two children, ages 14 and 16, had been in a federal shelter in Texas for nearly a year after crossing the border to reunite with him.

From November 26 through December 1, 2025, ICE and HSI stopped and questioned approximately 25 people during Thanksgiving week, detaining at least 15 of them. Operations occurred across multiple Southern California locations including the San Fernando Valley, San Bernardino area, San Diego, and Orange County. At least two people were confirmed detained on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Babblejit Kaur, a 60-year-old Indian-origin restaurateur, was detained by ICE on December 1 while attending what she believed was a routine biometrics appointment for her approved green card application at a USCIS facility. Kaur, who has lived in the United States since 1994 and has no criminal record, was placed in custody despite her green card petition being approved through sponsorship by her U.S. citizen daughter and son-in-law. She was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville, California, where she remained detained as of December 15. No official reason for her detention was provided by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security.

Elias Perez-Zuazo, a Panamanian national, was detained by ICE in December during a scheduled check-in appointment at a Chantilly, Virginia office that he had previously attended without incident. His U.S. citizen husband, Jonathan Blanco Gallegos, says they were in the process of applying for a green card when Perez-Zuazo was taken into custody without warning. A federal judge has issued an order barring ICE from removing him from the judicial district while the court reviews the legality of his detention.

Ehsan Rajabi, an Iranian graduate student at Johns Hopkins University studying art history, had his student visa cancelled by U.S. border officials at the American border near Buffalo, New York. After presenting all required documentation including his student visa and Canadian visitor visa, officers searched his car and phone, interrogated him for hours, and then used a red marker to draw a cancellation line across his student visa.

Community organizers in Fontana, California are providing legal representation and mental health support resources to an Indigenous family in connection with immigration enforcement actions.

Paulino Martin, an undocumented handyman who lived in Beaverton for over 30 years, was detained by ICE while driving to get lunch and deported to Mexico within three days. The community gathered at Southridge High School to rally in support of Martin, a father of three with no criminal record, as speakers praised his character and work ethic.

U.S. citizens testified before Congress about violent encounters with federal immigration agents. Daniel Rascon described an incident where agents pointed rifles at him and shot at his car.

Federal immigration enforcement officer Bovino was found by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis to have lied about a rock-throwing incident used to justify deploying tear gas against protesters in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood during Operation Midway Blitz. Video evidence contradicted his claim that he was hit by a rock before throwing tear gas, and the judge issued a preliminary injunction against federal immigration agents for violating her temporary restraining order by using force without warning.

Indigenous actor Elaine Miles was stopped by ICE agents in Redmond, Washington, who questioned the validity of her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, with one agent calling it "fake." Miles said the agents did not identify themselves and attempted to take her phone when she tried to call the tribal enrollment office to verify her ID. Her son and uncle were also reportedly detained by ICE agents who initially rejected their tribal IDs before being released.

Alma Bowman, a 59-year-old Macon resident, was released from Stewart Detention Center in late November 2025 after spending 243 days in ICE custody. Bowman was detained on March 26, 2025, during a routine check-in despite claiming U.S. citizenship as the daughter of an American serviceman. Her attorney argued the prolonged detainment violated her constitutional rights. Bowman's citizenship status, stemming from her birth in the Philippines to an American father, remained a point of legal dispute throughout her detention.

Gabriela Lozano Sousa, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. legally through a humanitarian parole program in 2023, has been detained by ICE for five months following a domestic dispute in October 2025 that resulted in no criminal charges. Despite entering legally and marrying a U.S. citizen in April 2025, ICE incorrectly classified her as an "arriving immigrants," subjecting her to mandatory detention without a bond hearing. Her attorneys argue the classification is legally incorrect and that she should be eligible for bond review as someone arrested within the country.

Leticia Jacobo, a 24-year-old Native American woman, was jailed in Iowa for a traffic infraction and faced potential transfer to an ICE Detention Center for deportation. Indigenous rights groups intervened to prevent her deportation.

A person warned their community that ICE agents were staging outside houses and then parked at a trolley station to observe. When ICE agents returned to the station, they attempted to detain the person, who fled because the agents were masked and refused to identify themselves. The person claims to be an American citizen and states that other people were also detained at the scene.

Joel Andre and his family were detained by ICE and held in a detention facility in Texas. The community is calling for legal assistance and urging elected officials Collins, King, and Pingree to help prevent his deportation.

A 27-mile segment of a 30-foot steel bollard wall is being constructed in Arizona's San Rafael Valley, an environmentally sensitive area that was spared during the first Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security used federal waivers to expedite construction by eliminating environmental and procurement laws. Environmental groups warn the wall will reduce wildlife crossings by approximately 86% and threaten endangered cross-border species like jaguars.

Jeffrey Lopez-Suazo, 26, was arrested during an ICE raid on November 25 after allegedly ramming his vehicle into an ICE agent's van while attempting to flee. The raid drew hundreds of protesters who clashed with police and federal agents. Lopez-Suazo, seeking asylum from Honduras, was charged with assaulting an ICE agent and was subsequently held for immigration proceedings.

Fernando Vazquez, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen born in Raleigh, was detained by Border Patrol agents at a construction site in Cary, North Carolina on Tuesday. Despite showing his North Carolina Real ID, agents handcuffed and transported him before dropping him off a half mile away. The incident occurred during large-scale immigration enforcement operations in the Triangle area.

Allan Marrero, originally from the Cayman Islands, has been detained by ICE for 113 days following a marriage-based green card interview at Federal Plaza in New York City on November 24, 2025. His husband Matthew Marrero and advocates including clergy and legal counsel have been working to secure his release.

Christian Jimenez, 17, a U.S. citizen and high school senior born in Newberg, Oregon, was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while driving his father's car around 12:30 p.m. during his lunch break. His older brother Cesar Jimenez reported the incident to media.

ICE agents raided a Detroit home and detained two 16-year-old cousins who were asylum seekers with work permits and pending court dates. The teenagers were transported to a detention center in Texas away from their support system. A demonstration in support of the two teens was scheduled for later that day in Clark Park in Southwest Detroit.

Dulce Consuelo Morales Diaz, an American woman, was released after being held in ICE custody for 25 days. She was detained after speaking Spanish outside a restaurant in Maryland during what her attorney describes as a 'Kavanaugh Stop.' Despite evidence of her American birth, the government has disputed her citizenship claim and she remains at risk of deportation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Vahid Abedini, an Iranian Studies professor at OU's College of International Studies, at Will Rogers International Airport on Saturday while he was boarding a flight to attend an academic conference in Washington, D.C. Abedini, who holds an H-1B visa for specialty occupation employment, was detained and later released Monday after being held for what DHS described as standard questioning.

Thi Dua Vang and her family found asylum in the U.S. in 2023 and she applied for her green card, which is awaiting final approval. ICE agents showed up at her doorstep, which Vang believed to be a mistake given her pending legal status.

According to an Instagram post citing AP News, 19 immigrants who were deported to Ghana were moved to an unknown location and cannot be reached by their families or attorneys.

An OU College of International Studies professor was reportedly arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Will Rogers Airport on Saturday. The arrest occurred at the airport, though additional details about the circumstances and charges were not provided in the available content.

A weeklong Border Patrol operation in Charlotte in mid-November 2025 resulted in 370 arrests of undocumented immigrants through street patrols and vehicle document checks. The operation caused significant disruption: school attendance dropped 20% among public school children, and businesses closed during the enforcement period. Following the operation's conclusion on November 20, the immigrant community held protests. Most of those arrested are expected to be deported. Border Patrol agents subsequently deployed to target New Orleans.

Edwin Josue Padilla Molina, who entered the U.S. in 2013 as a 14-year-old and has lived continuously in Central Islip for twelve years, was detained by ICE on November 23, 2025 while driving his pregnant partner and mother-in-law. A federal judge granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, finding that his detention without an individualized custody determination violated federal law and constitutional due process rights. The court rejected the government's argument that he was subject to mandatory detention, ruling instead that he was entitled to a bond hearing.