Human Impact Project

Zahra Razavinik, a 66-year-old Iranian immigrant, has taught preschoolers at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston for nearly 30 years and cared for her husband with a heart condition. She was detained by ICE in January 2026 during a routine immigration check-in and has been held at El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas for six months. Her attorneys argue she cannot safely return to Iran because she is Christian and faces persecution there, and that no other country has agreed to accept her. A 2006 immigration judge's order had previously granted her a stay of deportation due to risk of persecution as a Christian.

In January 2026, federal agents posing as utility company employees knocked on several homes in Gresham, a suburb east of Portland, Oregon, with the goal of getting migrants to come out of their houses, according to complaints from three affected families. The families reported the incident to state lawmaker Ricky Ruiz, identifying the agents as ICE. Ruiz stated: "They are doing everything they can to deceive people, lie to our community and then detain them. They don't even follow the law." The incident prompted local utility companies Portland General Electric and Northwest Natural to issue statements warning about people using "pressure tactics to get into homes" and emphasizing that their employees carry official identification and never ask to enter homes.

Khadija (also referred to by the pseudonym Abina), a bisexual woman from Ghana, fled her country fearing for her life after she and her family were persecuted because of her sexual orientation. She crossed the U.S. border in December 2024 to seek asylum and was detained at the Eloy detention center in Arizona. Denied eligibility for asylum only because of the "circumvention of lawful pathways" regulation, she proved to an immigration judge that she was a refugee and was granted withholding of removal in July 2025. Instead of releasing her, ICE continued to detain her and told her she would be sent to Cameroon — a country she had never been to and where homosexuality is also criminalized. When she requested a fear interview and refused to sign voluntary deportation papers, an ICE officer told her to "get the fuck out of my face." In January 2026 she was placed on a flight in shackles around her wrists, ankles, and waist, with stopovers in Louisiana and Senegal, and deported to Cameroon. There she lives in a crowded room with about ten other women and other third-country nationals, lacking clothing, sanitary pads, and basic hygiene products, and was told she has temporary authorization to remain for only two months. As of July 2026, she remains in limbo, afraid to go outside the building where she is housed and unable to return to Ghana, where she fears persecution.

Multiple Minnesota residents detained by ICE in January 2026 and transported to Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas reported serious medical neglect and unsafe conditions. An 18-year-old legal resident with a thyroid condition arrived with severe abdominal pain but received no medication during her detention and had her documents taken upon release. A Cuban man with a pending asylum application waited five days to see medical staff, at which point he was diagnosed with COVID. Two detainees under age 21 were placed in a holding cell with 40 people despite its 20-person capacity. Detainees reported limited access to phones to contact family and lawyers, and inadequate food. The reports prompted state and federal officials to call for a full investigation into facility conditions.

Alexander Perez, a 15-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was detained with his mother and 14-year-old brother when immigration agents stopped their bus traveling from Los Angeles to Houston and checked everyone's immigration status. He had been detained for four months at Dilley by the time of interviews. He reported inadequate school instruction with mixed-age classes limited to 12 students for one hour, lessons below his level, and an uncomfortable interrogation about immigration policy during a social studies class. His mother Teresa was appealing a denied asylum petition.

Ariana Velasquez, a 14-year-old from Honduras who immigrated to the U.S. at age 7, was detained at Dilley with her mother for approximately 45 days. She was a freshman at Hicksville High School in New York and cared for her two younger siblings after school. Detention caused her to fall behind in classes and separated her from her siblings and favorite teacher. She reported severe depression, sadness, and inadequate medical care with long wait times for medication.

Two brothers, both U.S. citizens, were arrested in January 2026 without being asked about their immigration status during warrantless enforcement operations across North Carolina. They are among five plaintiffs in a federal class-action lawsuit filed in February 2026 against DHS, ICE, and CBP, alleging widespread warrantless arrests without probable cause.

Rev. James Eliud Ngahu Mwangi, a Kenyan priest and assistant rector in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, was arrested by ICE on October 24-25, 2025, while returning home from his job as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, Texas. Despite holding a valid work permit verified through E-Verify and lawful employment status, ICE detained him at a facility in Conroe, alleging he had overstayed his B1 visa. The Episcopal Diocese of Texas disputed ICE's claims and coordinated legal counsel to document his employment and immigration records. After months in detention, described as punitive and emotionally draining, and facing denial of bond despite his pending asylum application, Rev. Mwangi chose to voluntarily depart to Kenya in early January 2026. His attorney indicated the voluntary departure was a strategic decision to preserve his future eligibility to legally re-enter the United States.

Jacob, a 9-year-old boy with a pending asylum case, was separated from his mother when she was detained at an ICE check-in appointment in January while Jacob and his father waited in the office. His mother had no criminal record and was detained for approximately five months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center before being released on a habeas corpus petition in May. Jacob experienced severe trauma including sleep disturbances, inability to eat or attend school, and emotional dysregulation following the detention.

Jacob's mother, a Colombian national with a pending asylum application and no criminal record, was detained at an ICE check-in appointment while her son Jacob and husband waited in the room. She was held for almost five months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center before being released on a habeas corpus petition in May. Jacob, who had already experienced trauma fleeing paramilitary threats and witnessing violence during migration, developed severe separation anxiety, depression, insomnia, and behavioral problems following his mother's detention.

Hugo Diaz, a 49-year-old Guatemalan immigrant who built a transportation business in Minnesota, was arrested by ICE in January 2026 and deported to Guatemala, leaving behind his wife Blanca Lara and two young sons in Burnsville. The family is among thousands separated by the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign, including Operation Metro Surge, which resulted in over 3,700 arrests across Minnesota. Diaz's younger son has stopped eating since his father's departure, and both children struggle emotionally with the separation.

Amir, a 1-year-old whose Russian parents Alsu and Azat fled Russia fearing persecution for opposing the war in Ukraine, was detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center for approximately four months after the family presented themselves at a legal port of entry. During detention, Amir developed speech delays and began hitting himself in the face. Staff allegedly forced his weaning from formula despite his age, leaving parents struggling to provide adequate nutrition; they resorted to hiding cereal in their clothing to prevent him from going hungry. The facility lacked age-appropriate toys and Russian-language books. Amir's speech development slowed to just two words—'mom' and 'dad.' After release in January 2026, now 2 years old, Amir is laughing more, speaking more, and has stopped hitting himself, though his parents report he seems to be recovering from the experience.

Maria Cristina Tapia Cornejo, a 71-year-old undocumented immigrant, has been held at Eloy Detention Center for over 10 months following an ICE raid on Colt Grill restaurants in July 2025. Despite multiple requests for humanitarian release citing her age, hearing impairment, lack of criminal record, and deep family ties in Arizona, ICE has kept her detained. The restaurant owners who were arrested on charges of hiring undocumented workers were released and granted court-approved travel out of state while awaiting trial. An immigration judge ordered Tapia Cornejo's deportation in January 2026, and she is appealing while remaining in custody, citing safety concerns related to cartel violence in her hometown.

A statewide surge of immigration enforcement in West Virginia in January involved state and local cooperation with ICE through the 287(g) program, resulting in 1,831 arrests (1 in 10 of the state's noncitizen population). Over half were collateral arrests with minimal violent crime convictions; more than three-quarters had only immigration-related violations. A federal judge ordered two detainees released, citing constitutional concerns.

Luis Gilberto Loja Mayancela, 24, an Ecuadorian immigrant with Special Immigrant Juvenile status and valid work authorization, was detained by ICE on January 15, 2026, despite his protective status. A U.S. District judge ruled he is entitled to a bond hearing in immigration court, with seven days to schedule the hearing or he must be released. Mayancela, held at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, was separated from his wife and 3-month-old son at the time of his arrest.

Oudone Lothirath, a 57-year-old Laotian refugee who arrived in the U.S. in the early 1980s, was detained by ICE in January 2026 during an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. While held for 10 days at a detention facility in El Paso, Texas, he missed vital chemotherapy sessions for terminal Hodgkin's lymphoma and received no medical care for his diabetes and heart condition. After his release, he was too weakened to continue his remaining chemotherapy treatments, and his cancer subsequently spread to his bone marrow. His care assistant, Christina Vilay, said he would have had "many more months" to live had he completed his scheduled chemotherapy. Lothirath, a working member of the Minneapolis Lao community who attended a local Buddhist temple and held a current work authorization card issued in 2023, is now receiving hospice care.

Dmytro Kulyk, a Ukrainian national admitted under the Uniting for Ukraine program in late 2023, was detained by ICE on January 1, 2026, while his re-parole application remained pending—unlike his wife and daughter's approved applications. The 39-year-old was apprehended in a Walmart parking lot in Minnesota while working as a delivery driver and doing roofing work to support his family. His immigration attorney suggested the delayed re-parole decision may have been intentional to provide grounds for deportation. Kulyk remains detained and faces potential removal despite having no criminal record and following all required legal procedures.

Activists point to fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis and two killings in San Diego under CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott's watch. The incidents share similarities including victims' positions when attacked, officials' claims of aggression later questioned, and CBP's involvement in evidence handling. Activists note patterns they have identified in federal law enforcement investigations.

Jose Sanchez was detained by ICE in November 2025 and deported to Mexico despite having a pending citizenship case. He died in January 2026 while attempting to cross the Rio Grande to return to his family in San Antonio. His partner, Tiffany Barrera, is a U.S. citizen and mother of five.

A Venezuelan trafficking survivor identified as 'Flora' was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in January 2026 and separated from her two young children. Flora alleges she was subjected to sexual assault, forced labor, and physical abuse after arriving in the U.S. in 2023. Her legal team filed a habeas corpus petition in February 2026, arguing her detention violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and reports indicate at least 41 trafficking survivors have filed similar petitions since early 2025.

Bobby Nuñez, a tow-truck driver, was acquitted by jury of charges that he stole government property after hooking an ICE vehicle. The acquittal came as federal prosecutors under the Trump administration faced a losing streak in cases against ICE protesters, with judges citing civil rights violations and credibility issues with law enforcement testimony.

Victor Rodriguez Ocampo Sr., 54, owner of La Playa Taco Shop in Mission Beach, was seized by ICE on October 31 and deported to Mexico after approximately two months at Otay Mesa Detention Center. Rodriguez, who operated the restaurant for about 30 years, was detained despite having minimal connection to Mexico. His son has established a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $18,500 to support the family and cover legal expenses.

A shop foreman and asylum seeker who entered the United States on November 2, 2022, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on December 31, 2025, at a routine immigration check-in appointment without a warrant or explanation. Despite having complied with all terms of his release for nearly three years, maintaining employment as a shop foreman, applying for asylum and permanent residency, and having no criminal history, he was held for nearly six months without a hearing. A federal district court granted his habeas petition on June 26, 2026, finding his detention violated Fifth Amendment due process protections and ordering his immediate release.

An ICE agent driving into the Crosspoint check-in facility in San Antonio pointed a gun at two community members from Comrade Coffee Collective who were filming and distributing aid outside the facility. One volunteer said hello to the agent from a distance, prompting him to reach for his gun and point it at her despite her backing away, then at another volunteer further away.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino stated to Fox News that his agents have arrested U.S. citizens on charges of assaulting federal officers. The article also details allegations of excessive force by Border Patrol and ICE agents, including a November incident in Chicago involving Bovino during 'Operation Midway Blitz.'

Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizen children ages 17 and 19, was handcuffed and detained by ICE on Christmas Eve while shopping at a T.J. Maxx in Phoenix's West Valley. She and her husband operate the El Taco Loko restaurant and a food truck in Laveen, and she is the sole provider for her children following her husband's deportation. At the time of her arrest, she was awaiting a delayed DACA renewal, had no new criminal charges, and was wearing an ankle monitor after being released on bond following about a month in immigration detention earlier in the year. Her attorney said she had been fully complying with her orders, and she had a court hearing scheduled for 2028. She is being held at the Florence Processing Center. Arizona lawmakers called for her release, with state Sen. Analise Ortiz saying, 'People like Flor and her husband are entrepreneurs who contribute to their community.'

Immigration officials detained two U.S. citizen siblings in a Mission Bay parking lot in late December. The siblings were held in the basement of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building for most of the day before being released to their father. The family believes the incident was a case of racial profiling and reports that officers used physical force during the arrest.

An Afghan national was released on immigration parole in April 2024. On December 30, 2025, he was re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without notice or explanation. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court on April 8, 2026, challenging the re-arrest as a violation of his due process rights and federal regulations governing revocation of release. He requested either immediate release under his prior parole terms or a bond hearing. On April 14, 2026, respondents filed a return stating they did not oppose the petition. The court granted the habeas corpus petition and ordered his release from immigration custody within one business day under the terms of his prior parole notice.

Vilma Palacios was detained by immigration agents in Belle Chasse days after graduating from LSU nursing school in Spring. The incident was reported on an Instagram post by fox8nola with a link to more information.

Elder Chavez Carranza, 18, a junior at Asbury High School in Albertville, Alabama, was detained by ICE on December 30, 2025, after a state trooper stopped him for speeding and driving without a license and contacted immigration officials. Chavez Carranza fled violence and poverty in Honduras in 2022 and had been living with his sister as his legal guardian. He holds Special Immigrant Juvenile status and had applied for a green card and deferred action, but has missed required fingerprint appointments while detained. He is held at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, where he says he has lacked adequate food and dental care for his braces, works as a painter earning $1 per day, and shares a room with 54 other men. His sister, a former teacher, and a pastor who visited him described him as a hardworking student who has missed half a year of school, his senior year activities, and the birth of his nephew. Community members across three states, including local churches and activists, have organized vigils and rallies calling for his release.

An immigration detainee who had previously been released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on December 29, 2026. He challenged his ongoing immigration detention through a habeas corpus petition, arguing that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated due process. The court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to his December 29 detention.

Asif Amin Cheema, a 63-year-old Pakistani restaurant owner in Humboldt Park who lived in Chicago for 30 years, was deported to Pakistan in early 2026 after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a deportation order from the 1990s that his family said they were unaware of. Despite having a valid work permit and a scheduled green card interview, Cheema was detained in September 2025 and subsequently removed. A community fundraiser was held in March 2026 featuring Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir to raise awareness and support for efforts to bring Cheema home, with proceeds directed to his family and immigration advocacy organizations.

David Courvelle, a former contract detention officer at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Nicaraguan detainee in federal custody. Between May and July 2025, Courvelle engaged in multiple sexual encounters with the detainee inside the facility, including in a janitorial closet, while enlisting other detainees to act as lookouts. He also smuggled gifts into the facility to maintain the relationship. The case was uncovered when investigators obtained recordings of phone calls between Courvelle and the detainee, prompting his resignation.

Seven people were arrested at an ICE Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) check-in office in San Jose on Monday and Tuesday of the week of December 24, 2025, according to the Rapid Response Network (RRN) in Santa Clara County. The arrests occurred inside the office during scheduled check-ins for ICE supervision programs. RRN stated the arrests were not random and encouraged people with upcoming ICE check-in appointments to contact their organization for volunteer accompaniment.

An immigration detainee was arrested on December 29, 2025 for misdemeanor driving under the influence and providing false information to a police officer. He was granted pre-plea diversion with the case set for dismissal in June 2026. Months after his arrest, he reported for his scheduled check-in with ICE, where ICE arrested and detained him. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release.

A Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in June 1998 with no criminal history was detained by ICE on December 28, 2025, outside her home without any pre-deprivation process or notice, despite not being subject to a final removal order. She has cancer requiring monthly medical monitoring and is the primary financial support for her family. On June 18, 2026, the federal court granted her petition for habeas corpus and ordered her immediate release, finding that her detention without pre-deprivation due process violated the Constitution, and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a pre-deprivation hearing.

Malik Velimetov, 21, born in Turkmenistan but raised in Key West, was taken into custody by US Border Patrol on December 28, 2025, while traveling with his family on US 1 in Marathon. He was detained for a month at Florida's immigration detention center in the Everglades due to his pending asylum case and was released with an electronic monitor. His family, including his parents and 17-year-old sister, were also taken into custody and separated from him.

Arturo Rafael Brito Goncalvez, a 22-year-old Venezuelan pilot, was detained by ICE during a scheduled immigration appointment in Westerville, Ohio. His family claims he entered the country legally in 2023 with valid visas and employment authorization. He is fighting deportation and fears returning to Venezuela due to political persecution.

Marwan Marouf appeared before Immigration Judge Abdias Tida after 60 days in ICE detention. He accepted deportation rather than continue fighting his case.

A native and citizen of India entered the United States without inspection on December 25, 2023 and was detained by ICE on December 26, 2025. He was issued a Notice to Appear charging him as a noncitizen present in the US who has not been admitted or paroled, and was transferred to the Torrance County Detention Center in Estancia, New Mexico. The court granted his habeas petition in part and ordered that he receive a bond hearing within seven days.

Rey David Velasco Rodriguez was arrested by ICE agents in a Williston parking lot on December 26 after agents determined he matched a physical description of someone they were investigating. Fingerprint records showed he had been issued an expedited removal notice in September 2024 and was found unlawfully in the U.S. for a third time in over a year. Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered his detention pending a probable cause hearing scheduled for January 12, 2026.

ICE agents detained a pregnant woman at Karmel Mall in South Minneapolis, holding her face-down on the ground while handcuffed. Witnesses reported that she was unable to breathe during the detention and shouted that she was pregnant. Bystanders protested the incident, with dozens of neighbors gathering at the scene and pelting agents with snowballs. Video of the encounter circulated on social media documenting the use of force during the detention.

An unconfirmed ICE sighting was reported on July 3, 2025 in Anaheim, California. According to the alert, ICE agents in a white van were observed circling a Target parking lot and a nearby Quick Quack car wash, with reports indicating they picked up several people. The agents were reported to be moving southbound along Euclid Street toward a 7-Eleven gas station.

Anne Arundel County Police contradicted the Department of Homeland Security's account of a Christmas Eve ICE shooting in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Police stated that one of the individuals identified as a passenger in the van was actually already in ICE custody in a separate vehicle at the time of the shooting, contradicting DHS's account. ICE agents fired at a white van after the driver, Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, allegedly attempted to run them over during a targeted immigration enforcement operation.

Óscar José Araujo Mejía, a Salvadoran man, was shot by ICE agents while driving through Glen Burnie, Maryland, and suffered fractures to his vertebrae and skull after his van crashed between two buildings. A passenger from Portugal was also injured in the crash. DHS said agents fired after the driver failed to stop and drove into several ICE vehicles, while Araujo Mejía's family says hospital staff have not provided them information about his condition.

A man with valid asylum status, no criminal history, and a valid work permit was detained by ICE agents in a Walmart parking lot in Yakima, Washington on Christmas Eve while placing groceries in his vehicle. Yeimi Ortiz, a volunteer with the Yakima Immigrant Response Network, witnessed and filmed the arrest. The incident occurred as part of a pattern of federal enforcement actions in the Yakima area during the Christmas holiday period, prompting Ortiz and local activists to hold a boycott protest of Walmart on December 28, alleging the corporation's cooperation with immigration authorities.

ICE agents stopped a U.S. citizen named Said Mohamed during a traffic stop and demanded he prove his citizenship. Mohamed repeatedly asked why he was being stopped. Agents cited the vehicle's possible connection to individuals without legal status. After showing his ID, Mohamed was allowed to leave. ICE agents confronted a woman outside her home and demanded she provide ID to prove U.S. citizenship. When questioned, agents claimed to have a warrant for an unspecified target at the address but refused to present it.

Lucía Pedro Juan and Francisco Gaspar-Andrés, a couple married 25 years, were arrested during a traffic stop in Florida in September 2025 and transferred to Fort Bliss ICE detention facility in El Paso. They were held separately and ICE agents ordered them not to communicate during processing. Pedro Juan was deported to Guatemala on November 28 without being allowed to see her husband. Gaspar-Andrés died on December 3 at a hospital in El Paso after 10 weeks in custody. At least 30 people died in ICE custody during 2025.

Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez had lived in Texas for 22 years before ICE detained him following a traffic stop in 2025. Rodriguez filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that holding him without a bond hearing violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process. A lower court granted his petition in February using the Mathews v. Eldridge framework and released him from ICE custody. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision, denying Rodriguez's petition and ruling that immigrants in removal proceedings have no constitutional right to bond hearings regardless of length of residence in the United States.

Abdulkadir Sharif Abdi, a Somali refugee who became an addiction recovery leader, was arrested in December 2025 and transferred to Lincoln County Detention Center in North Platte, Nebraska. ICE described him as an active gang member, though community members contested this characterization. Abdi filed a habeas petition on December 9 claiming his detention was unlawful, and Judge Susan Bazis ordered his interim release on December 23 after the government did not contest the petition. Abdi was released on Christmas Eve with assistance from HOPE-Esperanza, a nonprofit serving North Platte's minority community, which helped him contact his family and book a flight home to Minneapolis.