Human Impact Project

Three women employed at The Dots Corp, a printing and marketing business in Irvine, were detained by ICE officers on February 17, 2026, when four tinted SUVs surrounded their vehicle in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Officers showed a purported warrant through the vehicle's window before taking the women into custody. The City of Irvine stated its commitment to providing services to all residents regardless of immigration status.

Nenko Gantchev, a 56-year-old Bulgarian national who lived in Chicago for 30 years, died on December 16, 2025, while in ICE custody at North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, operated by GEO Group. He had been arrested in September 2025 during an immigration enforcement operation. Gantchev had type 2 diabetes and deteriorating health conditions that advocates say went untreated. His death prompted calls from his family and U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens and Hillary Scholten for an immediate investigation. The lawmakers toured the facility and expressed frustration that the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to their inquiries about his death, which ICE attributed to natural causes. Immigrant rights advocates, including the ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, documented that multiple detainees at the facility have been denied emergency and routine medical care, prescription medications, and follow-up care after hospitalization. Gantchev's family has sought a private autopsy.

Four men were detained during an ICE operation at a construction site in Altoona, Wisconsin on February 17, 2026. One was arrested at the scene; three fled to a neighboring residence where ICE deployed tear gas against unarmed individuals before arresting them. The men are now in ICE custody facing deportation proceedings while their families have lost their primary income sources.

Erasmo Ibuado-Reyes, an undocumented immigrant and primary breadwinner for his family of four including two disabled children, was arrested by ICE agents while on his way to work. A federal magistrate judge praised his 20-year work history and family dedication at his hearing and ordered his release from criminal custody. However, he was transferred to immigration custody and deported to Mexico on March 7, leaving his wife and children behind.

Niury Guerra, a Cuban national and wife of a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE during a scheduled green card interview appointment in Dallas. ICE cited a 2018 removal after an attempted unauthorized entry with a fraudulent passport and a 2022 unauthorized re-entry as the basis for her arrest. Guerra has no criminal record beyond immigration violations and remains held at a detention center approximately 200 miles from her family, including her 15-month-old daughter. Rafael Alambarrio, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and husband of a McKinney elementary school teacher, was detained by ICE on January 15, 2026 during a routine check-in appointment at the Dallas ICE office. He had a credible fear determination from 2023, was seeking asylum, and was waiting for his green card application to be processed as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. His detention occurred after the Trump administration paused processing of green card applications from 19 countries including Venezuela. He is now held at Prairieland Detention Facility awaiting a hearing scheduled for February 3, 2026.

Juan Martin Espindola Ramirez, a 27-year-old Nashville plumber with a legal work permit and no criminal record, was detained by ICE on February 17 while on his way to work. He has a newborn at home and was reportedly a crime victim granted a U visa; he was applying for a green card at the time of his arrest. The detention sparked community support and a GoFundMe fundraiser, while DHS issued a statement defending the arrest.

Ludovic Mbock, a 38-year-old competitive gamer from Cameroon, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on February 17, 2026, during a routine work permit renewal check-in at the Baltimore ICE office. Mbock legally entered the U.S. as a teenager and has lived in Maryland for 18 years. He was transferred across multiple states during 25 days in detention. His lawyer and family fear deportation to Cameroon, where same-sex activity is criminalized and he faces danger as an openly gay man. A federal judge ruled he will be held for 10 days pending a bond hearing in Immigration Court.

ICE has stopped paying third-party medical providers for detainee care since October 3, 2025, instructing providers to hold claims until at least April 30, 2026. A Georgia-led Senate investigation has documented cases of alleged medical neglect in ICE facilities. The detained population has surged from fewer than 40,000 in January 2025 to over 73,000 currently. Federal law requires ICE to provide necessary medical care to people in its custody.

An illustration depicts a firsthand account from an ICE detainee describing a traffic stop encounter in which an ICE officer allegedly destroyed their work permit and state driver's license.

Omar's father was taken into custody by Customs and Border Patrol in Ontario, California. He is Omar's only source of financial support. The family is seeking funds to cover Omar's housing and legal fees for his father's case.

Detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center run by CoreCivic threw handwritten notes attached to lotion and deodorant bottles over the facility fence to protesters at weekly vigils outside. Notes described going 280 days without fresh fruit, constant illness, cold temperatures, and living in one large room with no windows. San Diego County supervisors were subsequently denied access to inspect the facility, and the notes stopped after ICE restricted detainees from outdoor recreation time during vigils.

Two men were arrested by ICE agents outside a church in Union City, New Jersey over the weekend. According to the church pastor, both men had been in the United States for over 10 years and were active church members. Local leaders and the congressional representative expressed concern about the tactics used, with officials saying the men were targeted for being undocumented.

Alex Umanzor, a 45-year-old construction worker from Honduras, was detained by ICE on February 16, 2026, at a Walmart in Suffolk County while on a routine shopping trip. He is currently held at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey. His detention has forced his family to make major adjustments, including plans to relocate to Maryland, and his eldest son has assumed responsibility for caring for his two younger sisters, ages 10 and 2. The family has raised nearly $7,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal fees and expenses.

Juan, a 21-year-old from Guatemala seeking asylum, was pulled over by Olathe Police Officer Todd Boyer on February 16, 2026 for speeding and driving without a license. Boyer violated department policy by calling an ICE hotline and providing the exact stop location, leading to Juan's detention and subsequent deportation to Guatemala. Police Chief Mike Butaud confirmed the policy violation. As of June 2026, Boyer remained employed at the Olathe Police Department.

Eight migrants from Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, Angola, and Zimbabwe were deported to Cameroon on February 16, 2026, as part of a secret third-country removal program. They were held in detention in Yaoundé without documentation, due process, or contact with attorneys, and faced conditions including inadequate food and coercion to 'voluntarily' return to their home countries.

ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum, or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, with 86 additional pregnant detainees in custody as of February 16, 2026. The agency reported 16 miscarriages in detention by late September 2025 and acknowledged inadequate medical care access. DHS stated a general policy against detaining pregnant women for administrative violations unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.

Efrem Yemane Berhe, a Cincinnati business owner and father of two from Eritrea, was detained by ICE agents outside his home on February 16, 2026, after living legally in the U.S. for 15 years. His detention stems from a civil immigration matter related to a prior marriage. A judge denied his bond request on March 5 citing flight risk concerns, and his family is appealing the decision while he awaits a green card hearing scheduled for April 30.

The owner of a Dallas County warehouse in Hutchins that ICE planned to use as a mega detention center housing up to 9,500 migrants announced it will not sell or lease the property to the federal government. Majestic Realty Co., a California-based company, made the decision after community opposition and pressure from local officials and religious leaders who warned the facility would devastate the small town.

More than 80 Minnesotans filed a lawsuit detailing use-of-force and intimidation by ICE agents. The lawsuit documents incidents involving excessive force and intimidation tactics used during enforcement operations in Minnesota.

Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, a 27-year-old from Guatemala, died on February 16 at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami while in ICE custody. He collapsed unexpectedly and became unresponsive despite life-saving efforts. According to ICE officials, Garcia-Hernandez had a long history of severe medical complications and was in poor health when taken into custody in January 2025 following a 2024 weapons conviction. The exact cause of death remains under investigation.

A grand jury indicted Braulio Jara-Alvarez on federal gun and drug charges after his arrest by Topeka police on an ICE detainer in February 2026. Jara-Alvarez faces charges including unlawful reentry after deportation, methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and illegal firearm possession. ICE took custody of Jara-Alvarez on February 20 following his arrest at the Shawnee County Jail.

Dmytro Kulik, a Ukrainian father who fled the war and arrived in the U.S. in late 2023 under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian program, was detained by ICE agents near a Walmart in Minneapolis in January while loading groceries. His wife and daughter's applications for conditional release were approved, but his remained pending when immigration authorities arrested him. Kulik fears deportation back to Ukraine where he may be forced to fight, and his family worries they could also be detained.

ICE stopped a vehicle on Interstate 35 at the 19th Street exit in Moore. During the stop, a father was taken into custody by ICE while his 17-year-old son was left alone on the side of the highway.

Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen and Lake View High School junior from Chicago, died from metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma on February 13, 2026. Her father, Ruben Torres-Maldonado, an undocumented immigrant, was detained by ICE agents at a Home Depot in October 2025 during the Trump administration's 'Operation Midway Blitz' enforcement initiative. While undergoing hospice care for stage 4 cancer, Ofelia posted social media videos calling for her father's release from custody. Three days before her death, an immigration judge ruled that Torres-Maldonado was entitled to cancellation of removal based on the hardship his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children, granting him protection from deportation and the ability to pursue permanent residence.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents vacated a Coast Guard facility at Terminal Island in San Pedro that had served as a staging ground for immigration raids across Southern California. Harbor Area Peace Patrols volunteers had been tracking agent movements since summer 2025. Rep. Nanette Barragán confirmed the federal departure on February 14-15, 2026. The status of the departure remained unclear, with officials uncertain whether it was permanent or whether operations would relocate elsewhere in the county.

Ruben Torres Maldonado, a home painter who has lived in the U.S. since 2003, was arrested by ICE agents on October 18, 2025, outside a Home Depot in the Chicago area and detained at the Broadview ICE facility before being transferred to Clay County, Indiana. His arrest occurred shortly after his 16-year-old daughter Ofelia returned home from the hospital, where she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Her cancer treatments were put on hold during his detention. A federal judge ruled that Torres Maldonado's detention violated his due process rights. An immigration judge set his bond at $2,000, which his family paid, and ruled him conditionally entitled to cancellation of removal based on family hardship, noting he poses no danger to the public and has strong family and community ties. He was released on Thursday, October 30, reuniting him with his family. On February 15, 2026, Ofelia died after her cancer battle. An immigration judge's ruling on her death came three days before, granting Torres Maldonado a pathway to lawful permanent residence.

Greggy Sorio, a 37-year-old man from the Philippines held at Tacoma's Northwest ICE Processing Center, was released following a federal court order that deemed his detention unconstitutionally punitive. While in ICE custody, Sorio developed a serious bone infection that resulted in the amputation of one of his toes and part of his foot, along with other serious health conditions including ulcerative colitis and acute blood loss anemia. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin found that the detention center staff engaged in unreasonable treatment and failed to provide adequate medical care. Sorio still faces a deportation order despite his release from detention.

Edel Jesus Rodriguez Torres, a Cuban citizen who entered the U.S. in 2021 and filed for asylum in 2022, was arrested by Lee County Sheriff's Office in Florida on February 14, 2026 for disorderly public intoxication and property damage. This encounter with police prompted ICE to arrest and detain him at California City Immigration Processing Center. The federal court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered the government to provide him a bond hearing within 14 days.

Arturo Gonzalez, a San Diego community patroller, was arrested in Logan Heights. The San Diego ICE/ERO Office had previously released a statement regarding Gonzalez's alleged criminal history, which appears to be unrelated to the arrest.

Guillermo M.R. was arrested by ICE at his family home in San Jose on February 14, 2026, following an Immigration Judge's decision ordering his detention without bond. The IJ found by clear and convincing evidence that M.R. was a danger to the community based on recent incidents involving law enforcement in 2025. M.R. challenged his detention claiming violations of his procedural and substantive due process rights, but the court denied his habeas petition.

ICE agents arrested 19-year-old Brian Nataren at an Olathe Walmart parking lot on February 14 after stopping his vehicle, whose license plate was associated with a person with an outstanding warrant. Nataren was determined to be a U.S. citizen and was later released. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas announced it is reviewing the incident and decided not to pursue charges against him.

A teenage girl who entered the United States as a refugee was arrested and detained overnight by ICE agents in a hotel room in Minneapolis. According to her allegations, immigration authorities separated her from her family and forced her to share a room with federal agents during the detention. The incident prompted protests outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, with demonstrators opposing the enforcement action.

An NBC News investigation found that Department of Homeland Security officers conducting Trump's immigration crackdown used less-lethal weapons including rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray on protesters. Officers shot 13 people with guns and injured hundreds more. Courts in at least four states found that force was used inappropriately and indiscriminately. The use of these weapons began in late spring and summer in California and Oregon, expanded to Chicago in the fall, and reached Minneapolis where officers shot and killed two protesters.

Diana Butnarciuc was arrested by ICE agents during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview for a permanent resident card in Las Vegas. Her husband, Patrick Baja, a Marine veteran, is seeking her release from Henderson Detention Center. Butnarciuc arrived in the U.S. in 2008, has no criminal record, works, and pays taxes, but faces deportation based on a 2018 removal order after her asylum claim was denied.

A 10-year-old U.S. citizen named Dylan recounted fleeing during an ICE operation that began near his school bus stop in Lindenwold, New Jersey on Thursday morning. Children waiting at the bus stop panicked and ran when they saw ICE enforcement vehicles, with Dylan running home in fear. The Lindenwold School District said the presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion among fourth- and fifth-graders.

ICE agents were reported at a Boys & Girls Club in Olathe, Kansas on Friday morning, with teachers saying four or five agents looked through windows of the facility around 7:15 a.m. Children were moved to interior spaces without windows for safety. Community members quickly mobilized to gather outside the center in support, with approximately 40 people showing up to protect families and prevent wrongful detentions, including Kansas state Senator Cindy Holscher.

A judge dismissed the deportation case of Narciso Barranco, an Orange County landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines, who was detained by Border Patrol agents in June 2025. Video showed agents pinning him to the ground and punching him during the detention in Santa Ana. The judge ruled Barranco is eligible for lawful status due to his three sons serving in the military, and his attorney is now working to secure permanent residency and a work permit.

Jesus Flores, a Mexican mechanic and father of six children, was detained by ICE agents who faked car trouble outside his home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota on Thursday afternoon. Security camera footage shows two women pretending to have mechanical problems at the curb; when Flores came out to help, ICE agents in other vehicles surrounded the driveway and apprehended him. Two of Flores' children have autism and require special care. His family reports he was transferred to El Paso, Texas within 48 hours, allegedly in violation of a federal judge's order. Flores is undocumented and was previously deported approximately 16 years ago.

Zhou Xaixuan, a Chinese national who arrived in the U.S. in 2014 on a visitor's visa, was detained by ICE at the Adelanto Detention Facility on February 13, 2026. He has lived in the United States for over eleven years, has a wife and two U.S. citizen children ages 4 and 1, and has a pending asylum case seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture. The court ordered his immediate release and enjoined the government from re-detaining him without a proper bond hearing.

The Department of Homeland Security expanded its use of undercover techniques to infiltrate social media, introducing a new program called "masked engagement" that allows over 6,500 federal agents to assume false identities and interact with users in private groups. The policy permits officers to friend users, join closed groups, and access private postings without the rigorous legal oversight required for formal undercover operations.

Three U.S. citizens—George Retes from California, Aliya Rahman from Minnesota, and Gina Christ from Minnesota—report being detained by ICE and CBP agents during immigration enforcement operations. The incidents involved physical force, pepper spray, flashbangs, and prolonged detention without proper legal procedures, with charges ultimately not filed against any of them.

Terez Metry, a 28-year-old dental assistant with no criminal record, was detained by ICE in Alabama immediately after receiving I-130 approval during a routine immigration interview at a Department of Homeland Security office in Nashville. Metry, who had fled Egypt as a teenager at age 13 and received a removal order at that time, was separated from her U.S. citizen husband Dominique Flemister during the interview. Metry had been living and working in Nashville since 2018 and the couple believed they were following proper legal procedures for her immigration case.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel ordered ICE to dramatically revamp conditions at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, where detainees had been denied attorney access, rapidly transferred out of state without notice, and pressured to sign self-deportation papers without legal counsel. The court found ICE likely violated detainees's constitutional rights and ordered: detainees must receive their A-number within one hour of arrival, must have confidential phone access, cannot be transferred for the first 72 hours, and attorneys must have in-person access seven days per week. One detainee had access to only two flip phones shared among 72 people in a single holding cell. ICE agents arrested Jesus Emmanuel Flores-Aguilar after disguising themselves as women with car trouble to lure him from his Minnesota home. The family claims the agents used deception to trick Flores into coming outside, where he was surrounded by additional ICE vehicles and arrested. DHS stated Flores was a previously deported individual with gang affiliations, while his family emphasized he is a hardworking father supporting six U.S. citizen children.

Despite border czar Tom Homan's announcement that Operation Metro Surge would end on February 12, Minnesota residents and officials report ICE continues operations in Twin Cities suburbs. Agents are using disguised vehicles, smaller groups, plain clothes, and deceptive practices including posing as environmental canvassers. Community observers document ICE presence at hotels, bus stops, apartment complexes, and interactions with those documenting enforcement activities.

Leonel Eduardo Lopez Ramos, who entered the United States in July 2017 and worked in the pipeline industry for five years, was detained by ICE on February 12, 2026. The petitioner is the father of a U.S. citizen residing in Florida and had previously been in removal proceedings that were closed in January 2024. The federal court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, finding that his detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1) was improper since he had been continuously present in the U.S. for more than two years.

Nicolth Hernandez-Lucero, a 24-year-old Colombian national, was detained by federal immigration agents on Wednesday night while driving home near St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale. Her husband, Noah Lazega, recorded the encounter as agents told her she would be detained. Hernandez-Lucero entered the U.S. legally at age 15 and has been in the country for nine years with no criminal record, working as a surgical technician at a local hospital and going through the asylum process with her family. She is now held at a detention facility in Pompano Beach, and her attorney has filed for a bond hearing.

ICE officer Christian Castro and another agent shot Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during a traffic stop on January 14, 2026. The officers claimed Sosa-Celis and his cousin attacked them with a snow shovel and broom, but video evidence contradicted their account. A federal judge dismissed felony assault charges against the cousins after the U.S. attorney acknowledged the officers made false statements under oath. Castro was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. Both officers were subsequently suspended and faced a criminal investigation for allegedly lying to a jury.

An immigration enforcement raid in Idaho resulted in the use of zip ties on detainees, according to NBC News. An ACLU lawsuit has been filed against ICE in relation to the incident.

Seamus Culleton, an Irish citizen, is currently detained at an ICE facility in the United States. A bench warrant was issued in Ireland in 2009 for his arrest related to an incident where he was allegedly found in possession of 25 MDMA tablets and accused of obstructing gardaí by discarding the tablets during a search.

Ramiro and his nephews Antonella and Andrés attended a scheduled immigration court hearing in Texas on February 12, 2026. After leaving the courtroom, they were detained by ICE and held at Karnes County Immigration Processing Center despite having no deportation order, no criminal record, and having entered the U.S. legally with a visa before applying for asylum. They were subsequently released but the family incurred approximately $17,500 in legal fees and bond payments.