Human Impact Project

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped Maria on Thursday morning while she was on her way to pay rent and buy a cake for her grandson's birthday. Sandra Hernández, director of Latinos Unidos Siempre, stated that Maria was racially profiled. The incident resulted in extensive injuries to Maria.

Lesli Marili Samayoa, 26, was arrested after recording ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Fort Myers, Florida. She told N+ Univision she began filming on her way to work to alert her community, but agents surrounded her truck and a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle blocked her path. She livestreamed a 28-second video on Facebook showing agents breaking her vehicle's window before pulling her out by the hair, throwing her to the ground, and pressing their knees against her neck. She was booked into the Lee County jail on a charge of resisting an officer, not an immigration charge, and was held for nine days until September 3, during which she says she lost about 16 pounds. "I feel like I can't trust anyone, I feel abandoned, I feel like I can't call 911. I have anxiety, I don't want to go out; I'm terrified to go outside," she said.

José Ángel, 17, was detained by ICE agents in Edinburg, Texas on August 25 while on his way to retrieve a truck left behind after his uncle's earlier detention. According to José and his sister Regina, 19, who spoke with N+ Univision, their uncle had been detained by ICE while with one of his children, who managed to escape. Their mother asked them to go pick up the abandoned truck, and José was preparing for school when he and Regina went to the location where he was detained.

Adrian Sotelo Guzman was forcibly removed by ICE from M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina and transferred to a mental health facility in Texas, despite hospital staff determining he was experiencing psychosis related to bipolar disorder and was not stable enough for discharge. A federal judge approved the Department of Homeland Security's request for his removal. Medical providers and advocates raised concerns that Sotelo Guzman could not make independent decisions due to active psychosis and was denied family contact during the transfer. His family and advocacy groups are now seeking to reunite with him and calling for investigations into the circumstances of his removal.

A video captured ICE agents detaining several immigrant workers in Danbury, Connecticut on Monday, August 24, showing an agent kneeling on a man lying face-down on the street with his hands behind his back while pointing an object toward his head. The person who filmed the video, who asked to remain anonymous, told N+ Univision that one of those detained was his friend, whom he had met at a shelter, describing him as "super amable" and someone who always greeted people warmly. The witness said he and his friend were preparing to leave for work with a group of other workers when immigration agents arrived and began detaining people without identifying themselves.

Gustavo was detained by ICE on August 24, 2025, while working at Bubble Hand Car Wash in Torrance. After being held for 7 months, he was granted bond at $17,500. His sister Rosa organized a GoFundMe to raise funds for his legal expenses, noting that Gustavo is elderly with medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cirrhosis.

Alice Correia Barbosa, a transgender Brazilian woman, was detained by plainclothes ICE agents on August 23 after being pulled from a car in Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. Video of the arrest showed multiple men unbuckling and forcibly removing her from the vehicle while misgendering her. ICE said Barbosa overstayed her B-2 tourist visa by nearly six years and cited prior arrests for drug possession as reasons for the detainment. She has since been held at the Caroline Detention Center, and ICE has announced plans to deport her. A friend, describing her as a vibrant volleyball player and beloved daughter, started a GoFundMe to help fund her legal defense.

Rodrigo Almendarez, a U.S. citizen born in Canoga Park, was detained by ICE agents outside his workplace in Simi Valley without being identified or told why. He was released after showing his ID and a coworker's intervention. He plans to file a lawsuit over the incident.

An ICE officer fired at a U.S. citizen during an enforcement incident. Video footage shows the officer firing while the citizen stated he had children in his car.

HSI and ICE agents chased a family in Indio, California, causing a couple to crash their vehicle. Agents removed the man from the scene in their vehicles. The children were left at the scene. An ambulance arrived for the mother and children.

Arnulfo Bazan was deported after being intimidated into signing a voluntary departure form. He has returned to his home country. The community organization fielhouston commented on the actions taken against Bazan and his family.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers opened fire during an immigration enforcement operation in San Bernardino, California on Saturday, firing three shots at a departing vehicle. Masked agents in unmarked vehicles surrounded the family's truck with weapons drawn and broke windows without identifying themselves, prompting the driver to flee out of fear. Federal authorities claimed the action was self-defense after the vehicle struck two officers, though no agents were injured. The family later refused to allow agents into their home without a warrant, and federal agents surrounded the residence for several hours.

Heriberto Reyes-Ochoas, known as Eddie, a 34-year-old native of Mexico who has lived in Kiln, Mississippi for nearly 20 years, was arrested by immigration authorities after a minor car accident. He was stopped by a state trooper for failure to yield and driving without a license, held at the Hancock County jail, and then transferred to the Adams County Correctional Center, an ICE facility in Natchez, Mississippi. His wife, Catherine Cool, said the couple has been married 12 years and is expecting their first child, and that Reyes-Ochoas has no criminal record and was in the process of applying for a green card, awaiting an interview when he was detained. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said he will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

ICE arrests continue to increase across the Western Pennsylvania region, including areas like Monroeville and Ambridge. Federal immigration authorities are receiving assistance from local police in conducting these enforcement operations. The article references an incident on Tuesday involving more than two dozen workers arrested at a construction site at Mount Nittany.

Former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos, a United Kingdom national, was arrested by ICE agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana. DHS said he legally entered the U.S. through New York City on May 14, 2019, but overstayed his authorized stay. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on July 22 after he failed to appear for his immigration hearing, and he is being held at an ICE facility in Alexandria, Louisiana pending removal.

Federal agents, including Border Patrol's BORTAC tactical unit, ICE, and the U.S. Marshal Service, converged on a shopping center parking lot in Encinitas to apprehend a man from Mexico who had been deported twice before and had a final order of removal from 2019. According to CBP, the man rammed one of the agents' vehicles and fled on foot into a wooded area before being taken into custody. Witnesses described the heavily armed, masked agents and unmarked vehicles as alarming, and the man remains in ICE custody pending removal.

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a disabled U.S. Army veteran from Pakistan who has lived in the United States since 2000, was detained by ICE on August 21, 2025, when he arrived for a citizenship interview in Tukwila, Washington. Chaudhry served in the Washington Army National Guard from 2001 to 2005 and was honorably discharged due to a back injury sustained during training; the injury left him using a wheelchair and experiencing severe pain. He has been living in Lacey with his wife Melissa and their two children, and has dedicated his post-military life to activism, serving on former Governor Jay Inslee's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment and as president of Veterans for Peace Olympia. Federal officials say Chaudhry failed to initially disclose fraud convictions from Australia in 1996 related to using documents that were not his to open a bank account and obtain benefits; Chaudhry's wife states he was coerced into pleading guilty and was told there would be no criminal record, and that the convictions carried a lenient sentence. An immigration judge denied his bond on August 29, 2025, leaving him detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma while his removal case moves through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he has an ongoing appeal challenging a 2020 Board of Immigration Appeals decision that overturned an immigration judge's 2018 ruling allowing him to keep his green card.

José Escobar Molina, 47, a Salvadoran native with temporary protected status who had lived in Washington, DC for 25 years, was grabbed and handcuffed without questions by ICE agents in two cars as he approached his work truck. He was held overnight in Virginia before being released. He is a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit challenging warrantless arrests in DC.

Jediael Amaya Sanchez, 46, was detained by ICE agents outside the Buncombe County Courthouse on August 21 while attending a civil complaint hearing. Armed officers in tactical gear conducted the arrest in an unmarked vehicle without notifying local law enforcement or his public defender. Amaya Sanchez had recently been acquitted in a jury trial and had only traffic-related convictions on his record. The incident occurred amid a reported 170% increase in ICE arrests in North Carolina this year, raising concerns among civil rights advocates and local law enforcement about procedural transparency and safety.

Ricardo and Leonard Chavez, two brothers, were tased and arrested by ICE agents in the middle of Main Street in Norwalk during the Operation Broken Trust enforcement action. A video posted to social media documented the tasing and arrest of the two men by federal agents.

ICE Boston, in coordination with the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, and ATF, apprehended 65 people during a four-day enforcement operation from August 12-15, 2025, targeting transnational organized crime, gangs, and offenders with serious criminal histories across Connecticut. The operation, named Operation Broken Trust, included arrests at courthouses in Stamford, Norwalk, and Danbury, as well as street arrests. According to ICE, 29 of the 65 people arrested had been convicted or charged with crimes including kidnapping, assault, drug offenses, weapons violations, and sex crimes. The operation was conducted in response to Connecticut's Trust Act, which limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Immigration advocates protested the operation and criticized ICE's tactics, including arrests at courthouses and use of force against protesters.

Cottonwood School of Civics and Science relocated from its location next to a Portland ICE facility. The school experienced exposure to chemicals, munitions, and gases on its grounds during summer 2025, prompting cleanup efforts and enrollment decline. The K-8 charter school moved to a new location on Southwest First Avenue before the school year began on September 2.

Miguel Alvarado-Lopez, a worker at Moonshot Tavern in Portland, was apprehended by immigration enforcement agents on January 24 while sitting in his car at a gas station in Northeast Portland. He was transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, then to Arizona, and as of the report was awaiting deportation to Guatemala where his wife and son reside.

Grace Calero, 39, and her 19-year-old daughter Giulianna Carriel were arrested by ICE agents at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital while being treated after a two-vehicle crash that occurred as Calero drove Carriel to work. Cellphone video shows the women, one still attached to an IV, screaming as agents with help from Polk County deputies detained them; a family member says someone posing as hospital security questioned the women about their immigration status before identifying himself as ICE. A relative's GoFundMe states Calero has a pending asylum case and valid work permit and Carriel holds a visa valid until 2030, though the Polk County Sheriff's Office and DHS said both had overstayed expired visas. The women elected to voluntarily depart and arrived in Quito, Ecuador, exhausted and facing an uncertain future, while community groups protested outside the hospital.

Asma Elhuni, an activist with immigrant advocacy group Resistencia en Acción, followed federal immigration officers for about 19 minutes while honking her horn to alert residents during an ICE arrest of a community member in Trenton. Trenton police subsequently stopped and arrested her, alleging she committed traffic violations, including failing to stop at signs, illegal parking, and fleeing after officers activated lights and sirens. She was released after a few hours but received multiple traffic tickets, which she is disputing with a criminal defense attorney. The Trenton Police Department denies coordinating with ICE, and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office has been asked to review the arrest due to public concern.

Luis Fernando Hong, a 20-year-old Venezuelan man from Coro, Falcón, was detained by ICE on August 20 in Hallandale Beach, Florida. He arrived in the U.S. in 2016 at age 10 as part of his family's asylum application, which was filed three months after their arrival, and has a pending asylum case along with a valid work permit and no criminal record. Hong works at Wells Fargo as a personal banker, and was intercepted by immigration agents outside a Walmart after going to the gym following his work shift. He is currently held at the Miramar processing center. A family member described him as 'a good young man' who has lived in the country for more than 10 years while following the law and maintaining good behavior.

Gilbert Joubert Adrien, a 41-year-old Haitian pastor described as "beloved" by his Springfield, Ohio community, was detained by ICE agents on the morning of August 20 at a Sunoco gas station on South Limestone Street. Victor Yonel, another Haitian man, was detained alongside him after ICE released Yonel's wife, who had been in the car with them. Fellow pastor Carl Ruby said Adrien left Haiti because his life was in danger and had faithfully served Christ and his congregation, calling the arrest an example of ICE's willingness to "incite panic among people who came here peacefully" and urging his immediate release. Vilés Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center, said he speaks with Adrien regularly and that the two work together distributing items to people in Springfield as pastors and community leaders, warning that if Adrien is deported his congregation "will be here terrified and without their leader." Advocates with Springfield G92 called the detention "a profound wound" to the Haitian community, with member Marjory Wentworth adding it left people "deeply saddened" and "feeling even more vulnerable." A second pastor from the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield was also detained while traveling in Northwest Ohio; Ruby said he may already have been deported. Adrien's detention came amid a broader ICE crackdown that has detained more than 40 Haitian residents following the July 27 end of Temporary Protected Status, with community members also being required to wear ankle monitors and report to ICE offices.

Guan Heng, a 38-year-old Chinese asylum seeker, secretly filmed internment facilities in Xinjiang in 2020 before fleeing China and arriving in the U.S. in 2021, where he applied for asylum, obtained a work permit, and worked as an Uber driver and delivery worker in Queens. In August 2025, ICE agents arrested him at his home near Albany, New York, during an operation targeting his housemates, and he has since been held at Broome County Correctional Facility. DHS initially sought to deport him to Uganda, but dropped that plan in December after his case drew attention from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and public advocacy groups. Guan is now appealing to remain in the United States, saying he fears prosecution, imprisonment, or torture if returned to China.

A father was briefly detained by ICE agents on August 19, 2025, after dropping off his child at a Garden Grove elementary school. Masked individuals in unmarked cars surrounded and handcuffed the man near campus around 7:50 a.m. He was held in an ICE vehicle in a nearby parking lot and released within an hour after providing documentation and confirming his identity.

An ICE enforcement action in Escondido resulted in the detention of a father while his children witnessed the incident. According to an Instagram post, children can be heard speaking in Spanish expressing distress about the situation.

Mario, a father of three who had worked non-stop for 33 years since immigrating from Mexico, was arrested at the carwash in Santa Ana where he worked during ICE raids on August 19, 2025. He spent six nights sleeping on the floor of a holding cell he called the "ice box," where detainees huddled together for warmth, and two months at Adelanto detention center where he contracted a contagion, possibly flu or COVID. He was released on October 24 after his lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition, but he cannot work while awaiting a final deportation hearing scheduled for July 27. His wife Alejandra said he was severely traumatized after release, refusing to leave the house, barely eating, with no energy to shower. His son now pays for his rent and food, and Mario said he has become "a burden" for his family after decades of being their sole breadwinner.

Daniel Fuentes Espinal, a 54-year-old volunteer pastor and construction worker from Honduras, was detained by ICE on July 21, 2025, while driving to a construction job in Easton, Maryland, after purchasing supplies at Lowe's and picking up breakfast at McDonald's. He arrived legally in 2001 on a six-month visitor visa and had been living in the country on an expired visa ever since. For the past 24 years, Fuentes Espinal has been a cornerstone of his Easton community, working steadily in construction to support his wife and three adult children, and serving as a volunteer pastor at Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama for over a decade, where he has built the congregation to 70 families. His daughter Clarissa had begun sponsoring him for permanent residence through legal channels. According to court records and his family, he has no criminal history. During his detention, he was transferred through facilities in Salisbury and Baltimore before being moved to Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, where he reported deplorable conditions including sleeping on concrete or cold benches, lack of adequate food and sanitation, and denial of access to his heart and stomach medications. His community, congregation, and Maryland congressional representatives—including U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Representative Sarah Elfreth, and Representative Glenn Ivey—rallied to support him. A GoFundMe campaign raised over $50,000 for his legal expenses. He was released from ICE detention and returned home to his family in Easton nearly a month after his arrest.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents opened fire on a vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation after the driver allegedly struck two officers with his car. The three occupants, including an unauthorized immigrant, were not hit. The driver was briefly detained but released due to California's sanctuary policies, as agents lacked a warrant.

Marlon Gerardo Sáenz Cruz, 65, a Nicaraguan defector who was among 222 prisoners stripped of citizenship and brought to the U.S. in February 2023, was detained by immigration authorities during a routine check-in in Los Angeles. He now faces an immigration court hearing to determine whether he can remain in the U.S., after being imprisoned and allegedly tortured in Nicaragua for opposing the Ortega-Murillo government. His representative says he has developed a leg ulcer, glaucoma, and worsening complications from childhood polio, and now uses a wheelchair while detained at Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. He is seeking asylum or deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture, though advocates warn he could still be sent to a third country where he has no ties.

A U.S. citizen born in Yakima, Washington, was pulled over and temporarily detained by ICE agents on the morning of August 17 while driving to work near the Sundome area. Agents surrounded his vehicle, asked for identification without explaining the stop, and told him there was a warrant for his arrest for "being here illegally." He was handcuffed and placed in a squad car until agents verified his citizenship, after which he was released. He said agents refused to provide their badge numbers or names before leaving, and he photographed their vehicles and license plates.

Federal agents detained a food delivery driver in Northwest Washington on Saturday morning, tackling him to the ground and apparently using a stun gun before placing him in an unmarked vehicle. The incident was witnessed and recorded by multiple people including a Washington Post reporter. The man was later identified as a Venezuelan national.

ICE agents confronted Francisco Longoria and passengers in San Bernardino on August 16, 2025. Masked agents in an unmarked vehicle surrounded the car and fired at least three shots. According to the family, the agents did not identify themselves before smashing the driver's window and opening fire, with bullets striking near where Longoria's teenage son was seated. ICE claimed Longoria drove toward officers. The family and their attorneys dispute this account and are requesting a criminal investigation. Francisco Longoria was stopped by ICE and CBP agents without a warrant on August 16, 2026. When agents smashed his truck window and drew guns, Longoria drove away and agents fired three shots, hitting the vehicle. He was subsequently charged with weaponizing his vehicle against officers and detained for months before charges were dropped. Longoria's family has filed a lawsuit alleging the shooting violated use of force policy and a court order against racial profiling.

On August 16, 2025, ICE conducted enforcement operations at a Home Depot and car wash in Anaheim, detaining at least five people despite a federal court order prohibiting indiscriminate sweeps. At the Euclid Car Wash, ICE deployed tear gas against a crowd of bystanders and arrested Isaac Dominguez, an uninvolved Black bystander who was there to wash his car, after he reportedly confronted the agents.

ICE officers arrested a Mayan-language speaking woman from Guatemala in San Francisco immigration court on August 15, 2025. The DHS attorney did not move to dismiss her case and agreed to reschedule her hearing for October. The woman, who spoke only Mam and had difficulty communicating through interpreters, was arrested in the courthouse hallway immediately after her hearing concluded.

Edwin Calva, a 27-year-old from Ecuador, was arrested by ICE agents at Danbury Superior Courthouse on August 15, 2025. According to ICE, Calva had been convicted of larceny and arrested on charges of domestic violence, third-degree assault, breach of peace, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and unlawful restraint, with two charges of violating a protective order as felonies. Calva had pleaded not guilty to all charges and his cases remain pending. His sister Monica Apolinario stated that Calva was called to court by his public defender on a day when he wasn't scheduled for a hearing. His girlfriend Jossie Gutierrez said Calva was the sole supporter of his ill mother in Ecuador and expressed fear he would be deported and killed, citing the fate of his nephew who was deported and killed in his country of origin.

Tatiana Martinez, a 24-year-old TikTok influencer with 47,000 followers, was arrested by federal agents while livestreaming from her car in downtown Los Angeles. Her attorney believes she was targeted for recording and reporting ICE activity, though DHS stated she was arrested due to a prior DUI conviction. Martinez was taken to a detention center in Calexico and reportedly suffered bruising during the arrest.

Mario Guevara, a journalist with a valid work permit who lived in the United States for nearly 22 years, was arrested while covering a protest in Doraville in June 2025 and deported to El Salvador in October 2025. After his deportation, Guevara continued working as a journalist, reporting from Central America and being invited to speak at international press freedom conferences. His family remained in the United States following his deportation.

Ribvar Karimi, an Iranian national, has been in ICE custody for over 50 days in Alabama. He missed the birth of his child while detained.

Edgar Martínez, 33, was detained by ICE agents in Phoenix, Arizona, after agents allegedly disguised themselves as electricians to gain access to his property. His partner, Marisol López, said the agents cut the electricity service and entered without revealing their identity. López said Martínez had no serious criminal record and was in the process of applying for a T visa. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Florence, Arizona.

Johan Blanco, a 44-year-old yoga instructor from Venezuela who teaches at Mimi Yoga's Wynwood location, was detained by ICE agents during a vehicle stop in Miami-Dade County on August 15, just minutes before he was set to teach a sold-out Power Vinyasa class. His students arrived to an empty studio that morning, and it remained unclear where he was being held. An ICE spokesperson said Blanco had entered the country lawfully but remained in the U.S. for 10 years after failing to depart as required. A GoFundMe organized on his behalf describes him as a 'community pillar' and has raised more than $40,700 for legal fees and family support. Blanco moved to Miami in 2015 after previously teaching Hatha yoga at embassies in Venezuela.

Cpl. Jose Manuel Vilchis-Valle, 23, a U.S. Marine, enlisted in the military after recruiters promised that military service would help protect his family members from immigration enforcement, telling him "if you serve, and if you served honorably, you can help your parents." His mother, Maria Ursula Valle, 54, a Mexican immigrant who had suffered a stroke in 2021 and required ongoing medication, was detained by ICE on August 8, 2025, while attending a scheduled immigration appointment where she expected to secure parole in place. She was deported to Mexico within a week. Vilchis-Valle, who had served four years in the military and was honorably discharged shortly after his mother's deportation, expressed devastation over the outcome: "I gave four years of my life to this country... but knowing that this country doesn't want my mother makes me feel terrible." His sister Mia, who is studying nursing, described their mother as "a very kind lady." The family had believed the appointment would advance Valle's immigration case. An AP investigation found that more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained since Trump took office for a second term, with at least six deported and one self-deported, despite eligibility for military parole-in-place and other immigration benefits.

Mamadou Mouctar Diallo, a 20-year-old asylum seeker from Guinea and student at Brooklyn Frontiers High School, was detained by ICE on August 4, 2025, following a routine court appearance. He was transferred to a detention facility in Pennsylvania. Elected officials, immigrant advocates, and teachers rallied outside the Tweed Courthouse in Lower Manhattan in response to his detention. Diallo was held for approximately five months before being released in November 2025.

Juliana Soares, an advocate with Greater Danbury United for Immigrants, was physically assaulted by ICE agents while protesting at Danbury Superior Courthouse on August 14, 2025. Soares stated that an ICE agent walked into her, shoved her into a group of armed agents, and another agent pushed her so forcefully she nearly fell. She was also screamed at loudly by another agent, causing her ear to ring. Soares was threatened with pepper spray and arrest during the incident.

Michel Tshimankinda, a pastor at Restoration Church of Maine in South Portland, was released on bond after spending 16 days in ICE custody following his August 13 detention. Tshimankinda, who arrived in 2016 on a tourist visa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says he applied for asylum while his visa was still active and has been awaiting a decision. He has returned to lead his church while his asylum case is pending. ICE states he overstayed his visa by nine years, while Tshimankinda maintains his asylum application was filed before the visa expired.

Gagne Diagne, a Senegalese immigrant and DoorDash delivery worker, was arrested by masked federal agents outside his Bronx home on August 14 while his wife and infant were upstairs. He was detained for six days and nearly deported to Senegal before a judge granted his habeas petition and reopened his asylum case, leading to his release. The Amadou Ly Foundation, which supports West African immigrants, helped secure his release through legal advocacy.