Human Impact Project

A Ghanaian woman who has lived in the U.S. for five years and works as a home health aide in Franklin County is facing deportation to Uganda under a 2025 U.S.-Uganda agreement, despite having no ties to Uganda and speaking a different language. She has been seeking asylum but the Department of Homeland Security is pushing to cut her case short and deport her to the third country. Immigration lawyer Gus Shihab noted the contradiction in the U.S. government's position, as the State Department has documented human rights concerns in Uganda while simultaneously claiming it is a safe destination for deportees.

A Paraguayan asylum seeker who fled persecution in 2023 was arrested by masked ICE agents in July 2025 as he left a scheduled immigration court hearing in Manhattan, during which one of his two U.S.-citizen sisters was knocked to the ground. He had lived with his sister in Flushing, Queens, worked in construction, attended church, and had no criminal history in any country, regularly attending his court dates and filing an asylum application in January 2025. He was held for several days at 26 Federal Plaza in overcrowded conditions, where an ICE officer mocked a photo of him weeping and told him "it's a new government" when he asked why he was being arrested. A federal judge later granted his habeas corpus petition, ruling his detention unlawful and ordering his release.

A client of attorney George Rios was detained in July 2025 during a scheduled green card interview at the Fresno USCIS office. The client arrived with his wife, a U.S. citizen, but she was asked to step into the waiting area before ICE agents detained him. He was driven across the border at age four and presented himself to immigration officials, which counted as legal entry. Rios believes the real reason for detention was the client's criminal history, though the client has no criminal convictions and has been in the U.S. for at least 10 years, maintained good moral character, and is eligible for his green card. He is currently detained at a McFarland detention facility. His wife is a U.S. citizen, and his youngest child is less than a year old. Rios must prove several requirements at a hearing to give his client a chance to stay in the country, arguing that deportation would cause extreme hardship on his wife and children.

An undocumented single mother was arrested during a workplace raid at a cannabis farm in Southern California in July 2025. Her 10-month-old US citizen child was left with family friends as a result of her arrest and detention.

ICE conducted raids on cannabis farms near the California coast in summer 2025, arresting 361 workers and detaining 14 teen minors; more than a dozen US citizen children were left without parents. In one case, a 15-year-old was left alone with his two younger brothers, ages 8 and 9, after their mother was deported to Mexico three days after the raid, while a 10-month-old was left with family friends when her mother was arrested. During the raids, federal agents used riot gear, flash bang grenades, and smoke bombs, and a worker fleeing the facility fell 30 feet from a greenhouse roof and died. Months later, nonprofits report roughly half of those arrested have been deported, many remain in federal custody with only a few released on bond, and federal officials have denied requests for information about the detainees' whereabouts.

Kenia Perez, who had lived and worked in Texas for 10 years, was deported to Honduras by ICE after her arrest, leaving her three children without a caregiver. Her 14-year-old son, Isaac, could not immediately join her because he lacked a passport, so he later traveled to Honduras on his own about a month after her deportation. Her two younger children, both US citizens, eventually obtained passports and also joined their mother in Honduras.

Nancy Martinez, a 37-year-old factory worker and 15-year resident of New Haven, was arrested by ICE agents on June 9, 2025, while driving her two U.S. citizen children—13-year-old Monse and 8-year-old son—to school. Masked and armed agents in three unmarked vehicles boxed in her car, handcuffed her in front of her children, and did not present a judicial warrant or identify themselves as ICE. Martinez's grandmother came outside to help the children after her arrest. She was detained in multiple facilities across Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Texas before being deported to Mexico approximately one month later. Martinez subsequently filed a federal civil lawsuit against ICE and the federal government alleging violations of her constitutional rights, including assault, recklessness, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and unlawful detention.

Hector Saul Iraheta-Mercado was arrested by ICE on July 8, 2025, in East Wenatchee and charged with assaulting ICE agent Jaimie Waite. After a mistrial in March 2025, he was acquitted at a second trial in June 2025. He is now facing a federal jury trial on the same assault charge, with proceedings that began in June 2026 including video evidence of the arrest and testimony about the arresting officer's social media posts.

A 27-year-old Filipino housekeeping attendant identified as C was removed from a Carnival cruise ship docked in Baltimore by CBP agents who questioned him about child sexual abuse material. Agents examined his phone but found no evidence of illegal content. C denied all allegations and was never shown evidence or charged with any crime. His visa was revoked and marked cancelled without prejudice, and he was deported to the Philippines, ending his maritime career.

Attorney Vanessa Valdez, identifying herself as a legal observer, was shot six times with rubber bullets and exposed to tear gas during an ICE raid on Glass House Farms in Camarillo, part of a broader operation that day resulting in more than 360 arrests at two Southern California farms. The injuries caused severe pain, rib damage, and sleep disruption lasting weeks, leading to hospital visits and ongoing mental health treatment costs included in her Federal Tort Claims Act claim. The Department of Homeland Security disputed her account, saying agents used pepper balls rather than rubber bullets, and only after protesters attempted to breach the perimeter. Her claim is one of roughly $260 million in aggregate claims filed by people affected by the raid campaign.

A single mother of three granted legal status under the child separation settlement was deported to Honduras in July 2025 along with her children, despite possessing protections under the federal settlement agreement. According to court records, she has received death threats from local men seeking to extort money since her return.

A 60-year-old Afghan migrant, Baqir Rezaei, died in an Iranian detention camp in Zabol after being intercepted despite holding an official exit permit. He was held without food or water and forced to work under extreme heat conditions. According to his family, at least eight migrants died in the camp out of 35 who lost consciousness from heat and thirst.

Cristian Romo-Bermejo, a former Virginia Tech student, was arrested in July 2025 following an incident while he was being treated for alcohol poisoning. He was detained by ICE due to his undocumented status and deported before his scheduled Montgomery County Circuit Court appearance on assault charges. Officials confirmed he was no longer at the Farmville Detention Center as of late 2025 and remains outside the United States, missing a subsequent court date in March 2026. Virginia Tech has confirmed he is no longer enrolled as a student.

Paul John Bojerski, 79, a Polish-born refugee who legally immigrated to the U.S. in 1952 and lived there for over 70 years, was detained by ICE in late October 2025 based on a decades-old deportation order from 1968. Despite having no passport and no country to return to, Bojerski was taken into custody after attending a routine ICE check-in and transferred to Alligator Alcatraz detention facility. His family reports his health has deteriorated significantly during detention, and he now awaits resolution of his case.

Donna Brown-Hughes, an Irish woman who has lived in America for 47 years, was detained by ICE for five months after returning from a trip to Ireland. She was arrested in Chicago due to two dishonored checks from 13 and 10 years prior. She was subsequently released and reunited with her family in Missouri. During detention, she reported conditions including unsanitary facilities, pest infestations, and inadequate food and utilities.

A 15-year-old Mexican national was detained by Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa and transferred to Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility in the Florida Everglades designed for adult detainees. The teenager initially claimed to be an adult, but was transferred to a shelter for migrant children after his age was confirmed. State and federal officials initially did not acknowledge the minor had been held at the facility before acknowledging it after media confirmation.

Arpineh Kamal Masihi, an Iranian-born refugee with a prior theft conviction, was detained by ICE for 187 days at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center after her green card was revoked. Her husband Arthu Sahakyan has stated he would continue to support Trump and his immigration enforcement policies.

Thirty young people were arrested after blocking an ICE detention facility near Alligator Alcatraz. A journalist covering the action was also detained by police. The protesters are demanding the shutdown of all ICE facilities and the abolition of ICE.

Federal officials confirmed that 37 people were detained during immigration enforcement operations at three Home Depot locations in Los Angeles on June 30, 2025: 14 in Cypress Park on Figueroa Street, 11 in North Hollywood, and 12 on Sunset Boulevard. A witness said agents arrived in marked Border Patrol vehicles at the Cypress Park site and attempted to enter a day laborer center before workers locked the gates. A separate raid at the same Sunset Boulevard store on June 19 reportedly resulted in about 30 detentions, including at least one U.S. citizen, prompting protests, while operations in Corona and Chino the same week led to at least ten additional detentions.

Pascual Miguel Andres, 45, a Guatemalan undocumented immigrant who has lived in the US for 17 years, was detained by ICE on August 15, 2025, after being turned over by Florida Highway Patrol following a minor traffic accident. His two daughters, Yulisa and Yeniffer Andres, are U.S. Marines serving in California, and have applied for "parole in place" to secure his green card and release. Andres has no criminal history and is father to four children, including a son who plans to enlist in the Air Force. He was initially held at Alligator Alcatraz detention facility before being transferred to Krome Detention Center.