Human Impact Project

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. legally in 2024 through the CBP One program and worked as a DoorDash driver in Austin, was shot in the back by an ICE agent during a vehicle stop in North Austin on September 20, 2026. He disputes DHS's account that he fled on foot, saying he never left his car, and no body camera footage exists. He was discharged from an Austin hospital about four hours later with a bullet still lodged near his spine and a fractured clavicle, then transferred roughly 140 miles to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who visited him, described him as 'in very rough shape,' in a wheelchair with a sling, bruising and pain, and said a specialist determined he needs surgery to avoid losing feeling on his left side. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said he was denied timely surgery, given only over-the-counter pain relievers, held in isolation, and denied consistent access to counsel, with staff reportedly confiscating his communication tablet and moving him to solitary confinement after he spoke to reporters. DHS said he is receiving around-the-clock medical care but gave no surgery timeline. His legal team filed a federal habeas petition and a visa application citing his status as a crime victim, while Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Reps. Casar and Joaquin Castro called for an independent investigation and release of body camera footage; the shooting and his continued detention prompted protests in Austin and outside the Pearsall facility, and a federal judge scheduled a habeas hearing for September 30 in San Antonio.

An Iranian woman in her early 30s who fled Iran after converting to Christianity was detained by ICE and ultimately deported to the Central African Republic, a country she had never visited and that the U.S. government warns citizens to avoid due to violent crime and civil war. She entered the U.S. without authorization at the southern border in 2024 and had settled in Atlanta before being held at Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia. Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after learning of the planned deportation, she said, "I just started shaking. I was just so scared. I don't have anyone (over) there. I don't know the language, or anything." She was deported only three days after her arrest, one of the few Iranian nationals removed since fighting between the U.S. and Iran began, as deportations of Iranians have otherwise nearly halted because Iran and other countries have been unwilling to issue travel documents.

Aminata Seck, 26, a Kentucky State University graduate student, senior, and women's basketball player from Dakar, Senegal, was detained by federal officers at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Aug. 7, 2026, while preparing to travel with her team to a tournament in New York. Seck entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2019; her attorney, Sadiqa Reynolds, said she may have missed a visa deadline while recovering from back surgery and never received notice of a September 2025 hearing that led to an in absentia removal order issued Sept. 8, 2025. Reynolds said Seck has been moved among at least four detention facilities, has an ACL injury and torn Achilles requiring surgery, and received inconsistent medical care, including only ibuprofen at times, while DHS said she was referred to a hospital on Sept. 21 for knee pain. Attorney Hishem Alsalman said Seck has also experienced seizures. By Sept. 23, Seck was found hospitalized and appearing sedated, with hospital staff denying her attorneys phone or visitor access; her attorneys filed a motion to reopen her case in Memphis Immigration Court and a habeas corpus petition with an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in federal court in Kentucky, prompting Chief U.S. District Judge David J. Hale to order the government to respond by Sept. 28. Kentucky State coach Amani Williams and Rep. Morgan McGarvey have both publicly supported Seck, with Reynolds saying the coach has treated her like a mother would her own child, and McGarvey stating, 'The Trump administration's cruelty knows no bounds but we will never let this become normal and we won't stop fighting for her.'

ICE's Dallas office conducted a summer-long enforcement operation around Lake Lewisville, Texas, running from June 27 through Labor Day weekend, resulting in 121 arrests. The operation was carried out in coordination with state and local law enforcement partners, allowing local agencies to focus on boating safety enforcement while also supporting investigations into an alleged illegal livery operation on the lake. Officials said two of those arrested were allegedly affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, and that every person arrested had a criminal record, including charges such as assault, theft, burglary, DWI, evading arrest, family violence, and sexual assault of a child.

Three undocumented brothers from Honduras, who shared an apartment in New Bedford and worked in construction and as laborers, were detained by ICE agents while doing their family's weekly grocery run at a Market Basket. Their sister-in-law Maria said federal vehicles surrounded the men as they arrived, and agents were 'pretty aggressive' toward the brother who was driving, twisting his arm behind his back. The family says none of the three have criminal records, and one had lived in the U.S. for 14 years. Maria described the brothers as 'hardworking and very kind' men who doted on their baby niece, and said their elderly mother has been especially distressed by the detentions. The brothers are being held at Plymouth's ICE detention center.

Deng Deng, a 19-year-old Southern Connecticut State University basketball player from Aweil, South Sudan, was arrested by ICE agents at Tweed New Haven Airport on September 4, 2026, while boarding a flight to visit his girlfriend in North Carolina. Deng attended high school in New Jersey; sources reported he held either a pending asylum application with a valid Employment Authorization Document following lawful admission on an F-1 student visa, or protections under DACA. A witness described the arresting officers as 'very aggressive.' His attorneys, Glenn Formica and Steven Strom, filed a habeas corpus petition alleging an officer falsely claimed he was violating Temporary Protected Status he never held, that he has no criminal history, and that his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights were violated. A federal judge restricted his transfer beyond 150 miles of Connecticut before the case moved to Massachusetts, and he was held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. After two weeks in custody, Deng was released; U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called the detention unnecessary and illegal and is seeking an investigation into the regional ICE field office. SCSU said it remained in contact with him and was assisting where appropriate.

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen born in Denver who holds dual Mexican citizenship and does not speak English, was deported to Mexico after being pulled over near Fredericksburg, Texas while riding with a construction crew to his job installing air conditioners. Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Gillespie County Sheriff's Office, working under 287(g) partnerships with ICE, refused his offer to retrieve his Social Security card and birth certificate from his Austin home, and he was held five days before signing removal paperwork out of fear of prolonged detention. He spent about four months living with relatives in Mexico, where he enjoyed watching soccer including Liga MX, before his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, secured an agreement with the federal government allowing him to return to Austin after submitting proof of his citizenship. DHS maintained it had not arrested a citizen, while Morales continues to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging racial profiling.

Teresa de Jesus Ochoa Briseño, 31, a cook at Carmelita's Restaurant in Alamo, Texas, was arrested by ICE agents outside her workplace around 5 a.m. on September 21, 2026, and deported to Reynosa, Mexico, later that day. Her 17-year-old son, Luis Ochoa, a U.S. citizen, had witnessed an ICE apprehension near a Marine Corps recruiting office days earlier and was himself detained after speaking out publicly; he said agents offered him money to stay quiet and threatened to detain his undocumented relatives. Luis believes his mother was targeted because of the attention her public criticism of ICE generated in local media. ICE said Teresa had a prior removal order from a July 2025 arrest for alleged illegal reentry and denied the deportation was retaliatory, describing it as part of a 'targeted operation.' Advocacy groups We the People RGV and Carnalismo Brown Berets are calling for a congressional hearing and independent investigation into the family's case.

Luis Ochoa, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen, and his friend JC were detained by ICE agents in Alamo, Texas, after stopping to film an enforcement action near Santos Livas Elementary School. The teens said they were on their way to meet a Marine Corps recruiter when agents pulled Ochoa from his vehicle, breaking his wrist, pepper-sprayed both boys, and struck JC in the face despite them stating they were U.S. citizens. One agent reportedly told Ochoa, "I don't give a damn... Your parents can't help you now." Ochoa's mother, Teresa Ochoa, said she went about eight hours without information about her son and called it one of the most frightening moments of her life, adding the ordeal made both teens reconsider plans to enlist. DHS disputed the account, calling the teens "anti-ICE agitators" who became physically combative, saying two officers suffered minor injuries. The Alamo Police Department forwarded the teens' complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General, and Teresa Ochoa was deported days after speaking publicly about the incident.

Edgar Chacon-Miranda, 45, a father with U visa protections and full legal custody of his children under a New Mexico family court order, was detained by ICE agents in the parking lot of La Familia Health/Medical Center in Santa Fe while driving his daughter to a medical appointment. Clinic staff, including chief information officer Jasmin Milz, said agents appeared to have followed him from home and blocked his vehicle, taking him into custody without entering the building; his daughter was later picked up by a family member with help from community advocates. DHS described him as a 'criminal illegal alien' with an 'extensive criminal history,' citing 2018 battery, criminal sexual penetration, and child abuse charges, but court records show those charges were dismissed after the alleged victim declined to cooperate. His attorney, Allegra Love, said he received the U visa in 2022 for cooperating with law enforcement and that it expired in May while his residency application remains pending. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies criticized federal officials for citing the dismissed case without noting its outcome, and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández called leaving the child in the parking lot 'cruelty,' noting ICE reported eight detentions in Santa Fe that day. Chacon-Miranda was later jailed and alleges immigration agents fabricated reports to secure his deportation despite his legal status.

Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban migrant and father of four who suffered from asthma, bipolar disorder and anxiety, died on January 3, 2026, at Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, following a physical altercation with guards. Fellow detainee Antonio Frometa Ascón, who knew Campos from their time together at Guantánamo, said he watched guards beat and handcuff Campos as he begged for his inhaler before he was taken away and never returned; other witnesses heard him scream 'I can't breathe!' and 'You're suffocating me,' with his last words reportedly being 'I cannot breathe, may God bless me.' The El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide from asphyxia due to neck and torso compression, citing hemorrhages and abrasions on his chest and knees. DHS maintains Campos was attempting to harm himself and that guards were trying to save his life, while ICE's account of the incident changed multiple times. A federal GAO report found the facility's contractor failed to provide required use-of-force and death reports and that evidence was missing or destroyed; no one has been charged, and an ICE internal investigation is on hold pending an FBI criminal investigation.

Adwoa, a 21-year-old bisexual woman from Ghana, fled years of violence and ostracism after neighbors accused her family of witchcraft over her sexuality. Despite obtaining a US court guarantee that she would not be deported back to Ghana, she was instead sent to Cameroon, where same-sex relations are illegal and punishable by up to five years in prison. She has been held at a government-run detention facility in Cameroon for several months, describing her situation as feeling like "a criminal" and fearing she could be killed if returned to Ghana.

Misael Ramos, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America running for Austin city council, was arrested Saturday morning on a misdemeanor charge of "riot participation" tied to a protest against the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker with a valid work permit who was shot by an ICE officer. Ramos denies any wrongdoing and plans to contest the charge; his attorney said, "I didn't see any riots... I saw people out there chanting and protesting." His campaign manager said Ramos joined the protest to show solidarity after hearing that an ICE officer had shot someone in the back.

Federal and local officers served nearly a dozen search warrants across Jackson and Josephine counties, Oregon, as part of a two-year investigation into a drug-trafficking organization. Community monitoring group Rogue Valley Migra Watch reported at least 21 people were detained over two days, most of them agricultural workers at cannabis farms in Medford, Ruch, Central Point, Eagle Point, Rogue River, Jacksonville, and Cave Junction, including at least 8 workers detained at a Cave Junction farm on White School House Rd. Witnesses documented GEO Group detention vans, operator of the Northwest Detention Center, at the sites, and one detained person was treated by emergency responders while in handcuffs. The Cave Junction operation involved the FBI, Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team, Josephine County Sheriff, Oregon State Police, and ICE. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said it did not coordinate with ICE on immigration enforcement and that deputies were not told immigration detentions were planned, citing Oregon's sanctuary law barring local cooperation with federal immigration agencies; Medford police said their role was limited to supporting the criminal investigation. Advocates raised concerns the sanctuary law may have been violated, while ICE and the FBI have not publicly identified those detained or confirmed the total count.

Nathan 'Nate' Samudzi, a delivery driver from Yankton, South Dakota originally from Zimbabwe, was detained by ICE for a second time this year after reporting to the agency's Sioux Falls sub-field office. He was quickly transferred to a detention center and then to Minneapolis for a deportation flight, but a federal judge granted an emergency Temporary Restraining Order about 30 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart. Samudzi holds a valid work permit, had begun the citizenship process, and had been under strict GPS monitoring since a prior detention in February; his wife, a local schoolteacher, said he complied with every condition. ICE told reporters Samudzi had a conviction for drug possession and distribution, but his attorney said this is false, explaining he has only a misdemeanor marijuana ingestion conviction from age 20 and a separate charge that was dismissed a year later. Judge Jerry Blackwell has ordered ICE cannot remove or transfer Samudzi from the District of Minnesota while his legal team pursues an emergency habeas corpus petition citing fear of persecution if returned to Zimbabwe, a country he has not lived in since age four. He remains held at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, as family, friends, and South Dakota's congressional delegation seek updates on his case.

Jessica Trevino (also spelled Treviño), a DACA recipient in her mid-30s who arrived in the U.S. from Mexico as a young child and lived in Texas her entire life, was arrested by ICE agents on December 28, 2025, as she left church with her family in the Rio Grande Valley. Unmarked vehicles rammed the family's car in a Home Depot parking lot, agents struck her husband Juan with a baton, and shoved their 14-year-old daughter against the vehicle hard enough to bruise her. Trevino worked in an elementary school cafeteria and had no criminal record; her DACA status remained valid at the time. After nearly three months in ICE custody, she was deported to Matamoros, Mexico on March 25, 2026, despite disputing that she consented to a 'voluntary departure' order. Her three U.S. citizen children, ages 16, 14, and 13, remained in Texas with relatives. USCIS later moved to terminate her DACA status, citing unauthorized travel. Her family filed a federal lawsuit seeking her return and restoration of her status, though a federal judge has since recommended dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.

Masked ICE agents conducted an enforcement sweep along Speedwell Avenue in Morristown, chasing a man from the Lincoln Apartments toward a firehouse while a school bus of elementary students watched agents transfer handcuffed detainees between vehicles. Father Duberney Villamizar, a local priest, cut short Mass to witness the operation and said four to six individuals, including a car wash employee, were detained, with one released after producing legal documents. During the operation, a passing vehicle struck the open door of an ICE SUV in front of the school bus, which the priest said caused children to scream; DHS blamed a distracted driver and said no ICE officers were injured. Residents and officials questioned whether a Morris County Sheriff's officer had cooperated with ICE, which would violate New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive. DHS later identified three men detained: Noe Izara Rivera and Marco Vinicio Remache-Damian, who will face due process in deportation proceedings, and Cesar Armando Chilotillo, a previously deported individual who will remain in ICE custody pending removal. The arrests were part of a series of Morristown ICE sweeps that have unsettled Hispanic neighborhoods and prompted protests since January.

Adam Abdullah, a 31-year-old Somali auto mechanic and asylum seeker living in St. Paul with a pending asylum application, work permit and Social Security number, was arrested by masked federal agents on Dec. 12, 2025 at the start of 'Operation Metro Surge.' He had no criminal record beyond two parking tickets and regularly attended ICE check-ins, but was moved between detention facilities in Minnesota, Kentucky and Louisiana over about nine months before being transferred to Guantánamo Bay's Camp Six in late August alongside seven other Somali detainees, several also arrested in the Twin Cities. His attorney, Marc Prokosch, said calls with him were limited and possibly not confidential. Abdullah began a hunger strike over lack of information, after which he says guards beat him and placed him in a freezing solitary confinement cell to intimidate other detainees; while he was detained, his mother died after authorities denied his request for an international call and voluntary departure to see her. The ACLU sued the federal government over its use of Guantánamo for civil immigration detention, and a judge allowed the case to proceed with a hearing set for October 14. Abdullah was deported to Mogadishu alongside eight other men.

ICE conducted targeted enforcement operations in Woodstock and Waukegan, Illinois, arresting eight men from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In Waukegan, agents arrested Mario Guadarrama, 31, and Pedro Serrano-Hernandez, 39, both of Mexico; Guadarrama had a prior 2019 arrest by Illinois law enforcement, while Serrano-Hernandez was taken into custody on a 2025 Wisconsin warrant for contempt of court after prior arrests for driving without a license. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said agents 'abducted' one person near 8th Street and Prescott Avenue in Waukegan. In Woodstock, six men were arrested, including Alex Francisco Diaz-Quintanilla, 47, of El Salvador, who had a 2024 weapons conviction; Israel Espinal-Diaz, 48, and Lazaro Cruz-Morales, 43, and Gabriel Martinez-Quintanar, 26, all of Mexico; Daniel Nehemias Martinez-Esteban, 30, of Guatemala; and Jayson Josiel Ruiz-Figueroa, 23, of Honduras. At least one man was detained in the parking lot of Woodstock Automotive Service, and all six remain in custody pending removal proceedings at facilities in Indiana. A separate, unrelated federal drug trafficking warrant was served at the same Woodstock location hours later by DEA, Illinois State Police, FBI and local agencies.

A Russian woman who resides in Sarasota, Florida is being held by ICE at a detention facility in Eloy, Arizona, facing a bond of nearly $90,000 to secure her release. Her family says they do not have the resources to pay that amount as her immigration case continues. An immigration attorney suggested that such a high bond could be a government tactic to pressure immigrants into self-deporting when they cannot afford to pay.