Human Impact Project

Leonardo Sánchez, a 49-year-old Cuban national and lawful permanent resident who arrived in the U.S. in 2010 under the Cuban Adjustment Act and worked as a welder, was deported to Liberia and then Equatorial Guinea after ICE detained him at a gas station. Sánchez suffers from a severe abdominal hernia caused by a stabbing that once left him in a coma for 40 days, and had reconstructive surgery scheduled at Jackson Memorial Hospital before his removal. He said agents refused to remove his shackles or let him use the bathroom during the 14-hour flight, and when he refused to disembark in Liberia out of fear of being abandoned, agents allegedly threw him down the aircraft steps and knelt on his exposed hernia. In Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, doctors refused to treat him without documents, leaving him only paracetamol for pain, and he is now held with five other deportees at a former hotel under armed guard, unable to contact family. His mother and sister in Florida say a lawyer they hired to help him was a scam, and Equatorial Guinea has no asylum framework, leaving him facing indefinite detention or return to Cuba. DHS said Sánchez was ordered removed following a cocaine possession conviction and denied mistreating him.

Sean Lopes, a Guyana native, was serving a 14- to 16-year state prison sentence and was not eligible for parole until next February. ICE allowed him to skip the final six months of his sentence so he could be deported. His case was highlighted by ICE's Buffalo office as part of a broader trend of the agency removing people from state custody before their sentences conclude.

Alexandr Dyatchin, a Serbian national, was arrested in 2024 and sentenced last August to five years at the state's Lakeview prison in Chautauqua County, with an earliest release date of July 2029. ICE took him into custody last week, ahead of his scheduled release, to deport him to Russia. His case was cited as an example of ICE removing people already serving state prison sentences before their terms were complete.

Hasan Besharat, an 81-year-old Iranian immigrant who came to the U.S. legally on a student visa in 1974 and earned an engineering degree in Nashville, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in late February despite decades of compliance with an order of supervision. He was held at the CoreCivic-run West Tennessee Detention Center in Mason, where his attorney said his health declined; he is 81, weighs barely 100 pounds, and has high blood pressure. His legal team filed multiple petitions, including two writs of habeas corpus, and Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and community members advocated for his release. Besharat, who has a U.S. citizen brother and two U.S. citizen sons, is scheduled to be released and reunited with his family.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation targeted two restaurants in Elgin, Oklahoma on Wednesday, resulting in multiple people being taken into custody. The operation affected both local businesses, though the article does not provide individual details about those detained.

Aidar Nafikov, a Russian asylum seeker, has been held at the Adams County Correctional Center in Mississippi for over a year and a half while hoping to be reunited with his family. He filed a habeas petition in April challenging his detention, and though his case was argued before Judge David C. Bramlette III in June, it remained unresolved months later. His wife, Liudmila Nafikov, said his health has deteriorated in detention, including repeated bouts of strep throat and new kidney problems, and that he has struggled to get timely medical care. A DHS spokesperson denied claims of medical neglect at ICE facilities, saying comprehensive medical care is provided to all detainees.

Rogério da Silva Lima, 42, a Brazilian carpenter and painter living on Martha's Vineyard, was taken into ICE custody with his teenage son Nycolas during their first fishing trip together near Menemsha after the U.S. Coast Guard boarded their boat, verified their immigration status, and transferred them to ICE at Woods Hole. His employer, Rory Moreis, called him a 'hard worker' who was 'determined, dedicated, no limit to the hours or days to work,' while family friend Andrea James described him as 'a hard-working man' and his son as 'the kindest kid on the planet.' DHS said the pair entered the U.S. without authorization in 2021, that da Silva Lima's asylum claim was denied and his appeal dismissed in 2024, and that both had been issued removal orders in 2023. His attorney, Amelia Ritenour, filed an emergency habeas corpus petition, and a community GoFundMe raised more than $17,000 for legal aid. Nycolas was released after four days into his adult brother's care, and a federal judge, Indira Talwani, later ordered da Silva Lima's release, ruling ICE had missed the 90-day statutory window to detain and remove him. He remained under the removal order and ultimately left the U.S. unshackled on a civilian flight in September, returning to Brazil and telling a reporter, 'It was the worst feeling in the world. I love my sons, and I did not want to leave them behind.' His sons Nycolas and Nayran remain on Martha's Vineyard to continue school and work.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with support from federal, state, and local partners, conducted an operation at China Buffet restaurant in Greeneville, arresting approximately 10 people. Photos taken by nearby witnesses showed the individuals sitting on a curb with law enforcement officers standing in front of them. The restaurant, located in the Fairgrounds Plaza, closed early and remained closed that evening, and ICE described the matter as an active ongoing investigation.

Milo Morales, a 27-year-old Indianapolis man, was detained by ICE agents Tuesday morning while working at an east-side job site. His sister, Dulce Morales, an active-duty servicemember, tracked his phone to a parking lot off 38th Street and confronted an ICE agent who confirmed multiple people had been taken into custody at the site but would not say if Milo was among them. Because Milo has no criminal record, he was not assigned a federal identification number, leaving his family unable to track his location. Dulce described him as a hard-working man who is soon expecting a child, and said she feels disheartened as a servicemember watching her family targeted.

Lianyong Wei, a 51-year-old Chinese national who had lived in Saipan since entering the U.S. in 2019 on a two-week parole authorization, died on August 23, 2026, roughly a day after being placed in ICE custody. Local police had arrested Wei on August 21 on criminal charges, including an alleged attack on a family and assault with a dangerous weapon, and he was transferred to ICE custody the following day to face removal proceedings. A corrections officer found him unresponsive during a routine morning check at the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections facility; he was rushed to a local hospital, where resuscitation efforts failed and he was pronounced dead. Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres extended condolences to Wei's family and said the department is reviewing its procedures. His cause of death remains under investigation, and the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles has pressed U.S. authorities for a thorough inquiry, noting he is at least the fifth Chinese national to die in ICE or Border Patrol custody since March 2025. His death is recorded as the 57th ICE detainee death since January 2025.

Loreto Javar, a 76-year-old Filipino national and green card holder who has lived in Fife, Washington since 1995, was detained by ICE during his U.S. citizenship interview in Tukwila. A retired hotel worker who raised his family in the U.S. and renewed his residency multiple times without issue, Javar has stage 4 prostate cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and takes multiple daily medications. ICE alleges he failed to disclose a decades-old conviction related to a fatal altercation in the Philippines when he applied for his visa in 1995, though his daughter, Daisy Javar, says he has no U.S. criminal record. He has been held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, missing oncology appointments due to delayed meals disrupting his medication schedule, and has developed a blood clot. Advocates with the Tanggol Migrante Movement have pushed for his compassionate release. An immigration judge extended his case to September 20, which his daughter said will cause him to miss another cancer treatment appointment.

César Cepeda Gomez, a Venezuelan delivery driver for Walmart who held a work permit and had an asylum hearing scheduled for October, was detained by ICE agents outside a Bloomington Walmart alongside a coworker. He lives in Bloomington with his partner and her child. ICE said he was being held at North Lake Correctional Facility in Michigan.

Manuel Alejandro Nadal-Ortiz, a Venezuelan man who came to the U.S. under an asylum claim and held a work permit, was detained by ICE agents outside a Bloomington Walmart while working as a delivery driver for DoorDash, Uber and Walmart. His girlfriend, Joanna Hanner, said his mother called her crying within minutes of the arrest, and the family spent the day calling detention centers before Ortiz reached them by phone that afternoon from Chicago, saying he was being transferred to a jail in Michigan. Hanner said Ortiz had no criminal record beyond a paid speeding ticket, closely monitored local ICE activity to avoid it, and was saving money to support his father in Venezuela. As of publication, Ortiz did not appear in the ICE detainee locator and his exact location was unknown.

José David Murcia Valdez, a 30-year-old Honduran refugee, fled Honduras six years ago after a machete attack cost him a finger and left scars across his arms and shoulders. He settled in Monterrey, Mexico, and worked for three years at a recycling plant until Mexican authorities arrived to check employees' papers and deported him back to Honduras. Unable to remain in Honduras because of the earlier attack, he returned to Mexico and joined a migrant caravan called Sueños sin Fronteras, attempting to bike more than 1,000 miles back to Monterrey in search of work.

Felipe Flores was deported alongside Daniel Ramirez as part of the same third-country deportation flight to Guatemala City. Before the flight, he spent days in cramped U.S. detention facilities without being able to shower or brush his teeth, followed by a 15-hour stint in handcuffs. After being released in Guatemala City, he was bused with other Mexican deportees across the border into Tapachula, Mexico.

Daniel Ramirez, a 30-year-old Texas resident born in Mexico's Tamaulipas state and raised in Brownsville, was detained by U.S. immigration agents near his home. Rather than being returned to Mexico, he was shackled and flown to Guatemala City as part of the Trump administration's third-country deportation policy, then bused across the border into Tapachula, Mexico, more than 1,000 miles from the U.S. border. Ramirez, who lived in the U.S. for years without legal status, said the transfer felt like "a punishment for us so we don't go back again." He later took a multi-day bus trip to Matamoros, near Brownsville, where he found work painting cars.

Ana Garcia's mother was arrested by ICE near downtown Mount Vernon, Washington, according to her daughter. Ana said the family was not allowed to see her before she was taken away. The five siblings are now navigating daily life without either parent at home.

Victor Salgado Araujo, 44, was riding as front-seat passenger in his brother Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's van when an ICE agent fatally shot Lorenzo during a traffic stop in Houston on July 7, 2026, allegedly firing the weapon directly in front of Victor's face. Victor was detained immediately and held for 54 days at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center in Conroe, where he learned of his brother's death and was unable to attend the funeral or grieve with his family. His attorney, Ruby Powers, said Victor is a material witness expected to testify before a Harris County grand jury investigating the shooting. He was released and reunited with his family in late August 2026, becoming the last of the three witnesses freed from ICE custody, and is pursuing a U visa as a crime victim while also facing separate removal proceedings.

Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian student at Wright State University and former Wittenberg University soccer recruit, died by suicide after stepping into traffic on Interstate 70 near Springfield, Ohio. Bel had arrived in the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One app and lost his temporary protected status in July following a Supreme Court decision, after which ICE placed him on an ankle monitor as part of an 'alternatives to detention' program. He wrote on social media that the GPS monitor caused him "shame and humiliation," and his family said he faced bullying at school after losing his spot on the Wittenberg soccer team and transferring schools. Bel had been an honor roll student, JROTC member, and local scholarship recipient who hoped to attend medical school.

Julio Alfredo De Ávila Hernández disappeared in Jalisco, Mexico, ten years ago after being tortured by a cartel. His parents and siblings later fled to the United States and applied for asylum, but an immigration judge ruled in April that they must continue their asylum process in Ecuador, Honduras, or Guatemala instead of remaining in the U.S. The family has filed an appeal to try to stay. Julio's sister, Alondra De Ávila, 26, crossed the border with her four-year-old son in 2024 to turn themselves in to immigration authorities and tell their story. "We want to stay here. I don't want my son to live what I lived," she said.

Sae Joon Park, 57, a Korean-born US Army veteran awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the 1989 US invasion of Panama, self-deported to South Korea last year after ICE threatened to detain him at a routine immigration check-in over old criminal convictions. Park had lived in the US since age 7, moving from South Korea to join his mother in Miami, and struggled with PTSD and drug use following his military service, leading to a 2007 drug possession conviction and a 2009 bail-jumping conviction. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pardoned Park for both convictions, opening a pathway for him to seek to have his removal order vacated and legally return to the US. His attorney said the pardon does not guarantee his return. Park now lives in Busan, South Korea, separated from his two adult children.

Gustavo Parraga Durán, a Venezuelan journalist who has been seeking asylum in the U.S. for nearly a decade, was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Utah. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Washington state. His wife said he has no criminal charges, not even traffic tickets, and has lost his job while the family risks losing their home. Parraga Durán is married and the father of two young daughters.

Khalil, a 24-year-old Afghan man whose brother served alongside U.S. forces in the Afghan Army and another brother died fighting the Taliban as a pilot, was deported to the Central African Republic despite having been granted 'withholding of removal' by a U.S. immigration judge in August 2025, who found he could face persecution in Afghanistan. He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024 and was held in ICE custody throughout his time in the U.S.; he did not qualify for asylum due to a Biden-era policy requiring migrants to seek protection in other countries first. His immigration lawyer, Alma David, said his case shows the administration's effort to 'obliterate the global refugee protection system,' while a retired Marine colonel who supervised his brother said he fears Khalil could be killed if eventually returned to Afghanistan.

Milo Yiannopoulos, a 41-year-old British national and former Breitbart News editor known for far-right commentary, was detained by ICE agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on August 27, 2026. DHS said he had legally entered the U.S. in New York City in May 2019 but overstayed his authorized stay, despite previously claiming to hold an O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability. After he failed to appear at an immigration hearing, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22. He was held at an ICE facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, before being deported to the United Kingdom on August 28, just one day after his arrest. Far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed on social media that she had reported him to ICE. The swift deportation prompted questions about preferential treatment compared to others who face lengthy detention, which border czar Tom Homan denied, saying ICE is working to speed up removals for all deportees. Yiannopoulos had previously been a vocal supporter of stricter immigration enforcement and mass deportation policies, with past ties to Donald Trump's political movement.

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen born in Colorado, was deported to Mexico after a construction crew he was riding with was pulled over near Fredericksburg, Texas by Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Gillespie County sheriff's deputies. He said he repeatedly offered to show his Social Security card and birth certificate, which were at his Austin home, but officers refused and accused him of fraud. After being held for about five days, he signed voluntary removal paperwork out of fear he would otherwise face months of detention, separating him from his wife and newborn daughter. He spent roughly four months in Mexico before his attorneys, including Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, submitted his certified birth certificate, hospital records, baptismal certificates, and witness affidavits, leading the federal government to allow his return to Austin. He has since filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against DHS and individual officers seeking damages and a judicial declaration of citizenship, works installing air conditioners, and says he remains rattled and now carries multiple forms of identification at all times.

A Filipina nurse working at a Phoenix hospital's acute-care telemetry unit was taken into ICE custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Her family says she held a valid work permit and has no criminal history, and they remain unaware of the reason for her detention. Her boyfriend, who set up a GoFundMe for her, said her immigration case has a court hearing scheduled for September 4.

Alex Ramirez Gonzalez and Yan Vasquez Hidalgo, a married Cuban couple working in environmental services at SUNY Upstate Medical University, were detained by ICE after appearing for a scheduled immigration hearing in Mattydale, New York. The couple had fled Cuba, entered the U.S. in 2021, turned themselves in to seek asylum, and held valid work authorization. They said they were handcuffed and chained before being transported to a federal detention facility, where they were held for nearly four months, mostly separated from each other. In January, two immigration judges ruled they could not seek asylum in the U.S. but could pursue it in Ecuador, a country to which they have no connection; their lawyer appealed, and the case remains pending. They were released on bond, with one required to wear an ankle monitor, and have returned to their jobs and families in Syracuse. A third coworker, Mohamed Fofana, remains in ICE custody in Texas.

Hleb Matskevich, who came to the U.S. from Belarus at age 14 under asylum protections and later built a life in Palm Coast, Florida, where he owns two businesses, was detained by ICE agents at a Pennsylvania airport after flying in for his fiancée's grandfather's funeral. His fiancée, Alessandra Robinson, said agents cited an expired visa despite his pending case with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Matskevich is being held at Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania while the couple pursues a bond request and plans to marry while he remains in custody.

Ivan "Sergio" Chapparo, a shift supervisor at the Oceanview Diner in Berkeley who had worked there for more than six years, was detained by federal immigration agents as he was boarding a flight to Las Vegas at either Oakland or San Francisco International Airport. Friends say Chapparo, a father of three, does not have immigration documents and is currently being held in a detention facility. Restaurant co-owner Will Bishop described him as friendly and well-liked by customers and coworkers, and a friend set up a GoFundMe to help cover his legal costs.

A video circulated by Yakima Community Aid showed a person detained by immigration enforcement agents immediately after being released from Yakima police custody on a Monday. Yakima Police Chief Shawn Boyle said officers did not coordinate with ICE, explaining that ICE and other agencies simply monitor publicly available county jail rosters to learn release times. Boyle defended an officer seen in the video handing the detained person's bag of belongings to an ICE officer, calling the action reasonable given the situation. The incident prompted discussion at a town hall about the Keep Washington Working Act, which restricts local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement.

A relative of Brenda Dumas who holds a valid work permit was detained by ICE in Port Isabel and, after being held, was released with an ankle monitor, becoming one of more than 50,000 people the agency is tracking with the devices. The family member requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the federal government. Dumas said she now uses a phone app to track family members' locations and stays in constant communication with them out of safety concerns.

José Serrano, who served as Ecuador's interior minister from 2012 to 2016 under former President Rafael Correa, was deported to Ecuador on Friday even though a U.S. immigration judge had suspended his removal under the Convention Against Torture. Serrano entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in May 2021 and applied for asylum five months later; ICE arrested him at his Miami home in August 2025 for overstaying his visa. He faces charges in Ecuador for allegedly orchestrating the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, and Judge Romy Lerner had denied his asylum claim in May while blocking his deportation over torture concerns.

A court filing revealed that earlier this year four ICE vehicles sped past a stopped school bus with its lights flashing in New Jersey before heading toward an apartment complex where elementary school children were waiting for another bus. The children scattered and ran away in fear. Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America's Voice, said the incident showed immigration agents treating young children on their way to school as targets.

Bill Bassikissa Bounguiena, a Cumberland County corrections officer, was detained by ICE in South Portland in June 2026. The Sheriff's Office said he had been hired in August 2024, had no discipline issues, and 'demonstrated dedication to his duties' by often working overtime. He held an employment authorization document confirming he could legally work in the U.S. until 2030, and the Sheriff's Office said it had no further information on why ICE detained him.

A 51-year-old native of Mexico who entered the U.S. lawfully in 1993 and remained for 33 years while raising a family was detained on May 29, 2026, during a routine traffic stop after local law enforcement learned of his immigration status. He had been cooperating with immigration authorities, submitting applications for lawful permanent residency that were approved by USCIS and appearing for required biometrics appointments. The court granted his preliminary injunction petition, finding he possessed a constitutionally protected liberty interest and was entitled to pre-deprivation process before detention, ordering his immediate release.

ICE agents pulled 28-year-old Johnny Queda from his truck in Danbury, Connecticut, on August 27, 2026, as he drove home from a construction job. His fiancée, Kimberly Rivas, said Queda, who is from Ecuador and has lived in the U.S. for five years while pursuing citizenship, pays taxes, has legal representation and had no criminal history. "It's just so sad ... he does everything right," Rivas said. The arrest, captured on video by a local shop owner, occurred amid a broader week of intensified ICE enforcement in the city.

In April, immigration officers arrested a mother and her two children in Alamo Heights, Texas, while they were waiting for a school bus, according to the San Antonio Report. The case is cited as part of a broader pattern of ICE enforcement operations occurring near school bus stops across the country.

Aracelio "Mike" Hernandez, who came to the United States at age 4 and has lived there for 60 years, was picked up by ICE and is being held for deportation. His family describes him as a dependable, hardworking community member, a devoted husband to his wife Katie, and a loving father and grandfather. His family is raising funds for legal fees to fight his deportation and to support his wife and family during the ordeal.

Johnny Ojeda was detained by ICE agents on West Street in Danbury last week, according to video of the incident. His fiancée said he has never committed a crime and was in the process of applying to become a U.S. citizen. She said he was transferred to a detention center in Rhode Island and is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court.

Jay Dabelus, a professional boxer born in the Bahamas who left as a child and spent more than two decades living in the United States, was deported to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, saying he has never lived there and has no family or resources to rely on. He was among more than 50 people deported on the flight, including two minors, according to Haiti's National Office of Migration. The flight landed in Cap-Haïtien rather than Port-au-Prince because the capital's main airport is considered too dangerous amid gang violence. It was the second U.S. deportation flight to Haiti since Temporary Protected Status was ended for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S.

A man detained by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE at the McCook Detention Facility in McCook, Nebraska, filed a habeas corpus petition seeking immediate release from custody. The petition does not detail his nationality, family circumstances, employment, or the circumstances of his arrest. The federal court issued an order to show cause, requiring the government to certify the cause and duration of his detention and justify why the writ should not be granted. The court ordered respondents to file a return with supporting affidavits, a legal memorandum, and copies of any arrest warrant by September 2, 2026. The petitioner may file a reply by September 9, 2026. The court also enjoined the respondents from removing him from the United States or from Nebraska, and ordered that if he had already been removed from the state, he must be immediately returned.

The petitioner filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on August 28, 2026, seeking to prevent his transfer out of the Western District of Washington. Federal Respondents confirmed that he is currently detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. Under the court's scheduling order, immigration officials are required to give 48 or 72 hours' notice before transferring him out of the district. Because his location was confirmed and no transfer notice has been issued, both parties jointly asked the court to withdraw the pending TRO motion. The court granted the joint motion and withdrew the TRO. The order notes that the petitioner may again seek emergency injunctive relief if federal officials later provide notice of a transfer.

A Danbury, Connecticut construction worker, identified by family as Edel Hernandez Cervantes, was tackled, kicked, and repeatedly tased by ICE agents on August 27, 2026, after he and coworkers noticed an ICE vehicle following them on their way to a job site and turned back home. Neighbors' video and a 911 call showed as many as five agents surrounding the vehicle, pinning him face-down, and shocking him with a Taser while he complained of hypertension and was reported to be convulsing. Family described him as an expert baker who once owned a bakery in Mexico known for bread made for Día de los Muertos and Three Kings Day, and who always kept the radio on and loved to sing. He was taken by ambulance to Danbury Hospital, where staff and ICE denied his family and an attorney access to him, telling them there was no record of him as a patient. Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said he had already been transferred to ICE custody in Hartford before officials could intervene, and his whereabouts and condition remained unclear for days afterward.

Soumia Bensalah, a French Moroccan immigrant with a pending green card application, was repeatedly released from Pinellas County Jail and rebooked every 72 hours to be transported shackled to an ICE office and back, a practice she said left her exhausted and humiliated. Legal experts say these 'rebookings' circumvent federal rules limiting how long county jails can hold immigrants for ICE. ProPublica found Pinellas County rebooked 174 immigrants and Orange County, Florida rebooked 559 immigrants this way, far more than any other jails nationwide, due to a shortage of ICE detention space.

Johnny Queda, a 28-year-old construction worker from Ecuador, was pulled from his truck and taken into custody by ICE agents while driving home from a job site in Danbury, Connecticut. His fiancée, Kimberly Rivas, said Queda has lived in the U.S. for five years while working toward citizenship, pays taxes annually, and has retained an attorney. She said he had no criminal record, adding, "It's just so sad because he had nothing criminal going on. He pays his taxes every year. He has a lawyer. He does everything right." The arrest was part of a broader ICE operation in the Danbury area that detained more than 50 people in a week.

ICE conducted a multi-day enforcement operation in Danbury, Connecticut, with the mayor estimating about 50 people detained by Wednesday, not including further arrests on Thursday. Surveillance video from a security camera near Kennedy Park, at a business owned by Maria Rivera, captured agents throwing, kicking, and kneeling on a man's head as he was arrested outside a local Botanica store. The area had previously drawn up to 200 day laborers each morning, but immigrants and residents now avoid it, and nearby business owners reported fear and declining customer traffic. Agents were also seen waiting near school bus stops and outside a daycare center. A local blogger documenting the activity said agents grabbed day laborers off the street without warrants. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said ICE had not explained why it was operating in Danbury and that he was exploring legal options to hold the administration accountable, while DHS confirmed the enforcement activity but declined to provide further details, citing operational security.

Cleiton Toledo de Souza was taken into federal custody on Tremont Street in Norwood after Homeland Security officers attempted to arrest him and he allegedly drove off, striking two parked vehicles, before running away and being caught. DHS said de Souza was wanted in Brazil for homicide and had prior DUI arrests, and that he entered the U.S. without authorization in July 2021, was arrested by Customs and Border Protection, and later released into the country. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Jhonny Ojeda, a 26-year-old construction worker from Ecuador, was arrested by ICE agents on the street across from Danbury City Hall. His fiancée, Kim Rivas, said Ojeda had no criminal record, paid taxes every year, and had legal representation. The arrest was part of a broader ICE enforcement operation in Danbury this week.

Sofía Pineda and her parents, Nora Cardona Bravo and Leonardo Pineda Hernández, were detained by immigration agents at Atlanta's airport in mid-August as they prepared to board a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to celebrate a birthday. The family, originally from Armenia, Colombia, had chosen to fly instead of drive for the trip. Sofía's boyfriend, Nicholas Kim, a U.S. citizen who had been dating her for about eight months, was traveling with them but was not detained. The family had entered the U.S. on tourist visas and later filed an asylum application with USCIS, and are now in deportation proceedings.

Two men were detained by ICE agents in a Home Depot parking lot in Tacoma, Washington, after officers broke the window of their car. A bystander, Lance Braunwart, told N+ Univision that when he tried to record the license plates of the agents' vehicles, one agent appeared to try to hit him with the car even though there was enough room to leave. Braunwart said he and another couple stayed at the scene, located the wife of one of the detained men, and helped bring the men's truck and construction materials to her home. According to Braunwart, the two men had only gone to the Home Depot to pick up the last materials for a job they were completing.