Human Impact Project

Kubanych, a community interpreter, was detained by ICE in October 2025 while interpreting for another asylum seeker at California City Detention Center in Delano, California. After 8 months of detention, community advocacy efforts secured his release. He has since been reunited with his wife and four young children in Kyrgyzstan. During his detention, he experienced abuse and malnourishment, losing 40 pounds, and was denied care for serious health conditions.

A 74-year-old grandfather was detained by ICE on June 12 while traveling to work in the Magnolia Boulevard area of Riverside, California. His family described him as a dedicated provider and caregiver who has consistently worked to support his family and grandchildren over the years. The family launched fundraising efforts on GoFundMe and Instagram to raise bail and support costs needed to secure his release and help him reunite with his family.

David Streever, a Rochester resident and former journalist, sent a critical email to then-acting ICE director Todd Lyons in January 2026 criticizing federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, including a fatal shooting by federal officers. Months later, while Streever was traveling in Finland with his daughter, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents visited his home and delivered an unsigned warning form to his wife, alleging the email may have violated federal law by threatening a federal official. After returning to the United States, agents tracked Streever to a hotel near JFK Airport and left a business card. Streever's attorney stated the email contained no threats and characterized the visits as an attempt to suppress his First Amendment rights to free speech and petition. On July 6, 2026, Streever's attorney filed a federal lawsuit through the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, arguing the email was protected political speech.

Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez, a 37-year-old Mexican national who had been deported twice previously, was arrested after operating a drone in restricted airspace near Centennial Olympic Park during the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta on June 12. Federal agents observed him operating the drone from a parking lot, where he was recording video of the event. After confirming his unlawful presence in the United States, he was taken into custody and transferred to ICE. He faces federal charges for operating a drone in a temporary flight restricted zone and illegal reentry after prior deportations. ICE arrested Jose Garrido-Benitez, 51, on July 6 after he was caught flying a drone in a no-fly zone 2.5 miles from Arrowhead Stadium on July 3. Garrido-Benitez, a Mexican national, was detained for unlawful presence in the United States. ICE stated he had prior convictions and had been removed from the U.S. in 2003 before unlawfully reentering.

Ignacio Carrizalez, a Mexican national with work authorization and an active citizenship application, was detained by ICE agents on April 28, 2026, after Evans City Police stopped his vehicle for an expired registration. ICE agents surrounded his car, and after he refused to answer questions about his citizenship status, he was taken to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez, a U.S. citizen, reported agents removed him "violently" from the vehicle. While detained, Carrizalez missed a scheduled permanent residency hearing on June 1st, and an immigration judge subsequently ordered him to either self-deport or be deported. On June 26, 2026, he was unexpectedly released after more than two months in custody, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a facility in Mexico, with his deportation date postponed to September 2026. His wife testified before Butler County Commissioners about the financial and psychological toll on their six-year-old daughter with autism, who experienced nightmares, and the family applied for public assistance following his arrest.

An Eritrean asylum seeker entered the United States in September 2023 and has a pending asylum application. He was detained on July 5, 2026, and is currently held in ICE custody at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing that his continued detention without an individualized custody determination violates his due process rights. He also moved for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction seeking either a custody redetermination hearing or immediate release, and requested an expedited hearing. The court denied the motions, finding that he showed no threat of imminent harm beyond ordinary detention hardships and was effectively trying to obtain the ultimate relief sought in his habeas petition through emergency motions. The court noted he had only been detained for one month and provided no basis to prioritize his case over the 1,406 other alien detainee habeas petitions pending in the district.

A party worker from India entered the United States without inspection in March 2022 and was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol. He timely filed an asylum application on August 12, 2022, seeking asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection based on political opinion, and had been faithfully conducting ICE reporting check-ins. On February 16, 2026, he was arrested by local police for assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation at a convenience store where he worked as a clerk; he claims the charge was subsequently dropped. On July 5, 2026, he was arrested by ICE during a routine supervision check-in and taken into custody at Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his re-detention without a bond hearing as a violation of his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The federal court granted his petition in part, finding that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not § 1225(b), governs his detention, and ordered respondents to provide him an individualized bond hearing within 14 days before an immigration judge where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or flight risk.

Alejandro Emilio Visbal Mendoza, an asylum-seeker from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was deported to Venezuela and died when the building where deportees were being housed collapsed following devastating earthquakes. His family spent days searching through hospital lists, morgues, and social media after losing contact with him following his deportation flight.

Multiple ICE agents were recorded engaging in physical violence with a man outside Sentara BelleHarbour Hospital Emergency Room in Suffolk, Virginia. According to witness accounts shared on social media, after the man was thrown to the ground, agents punched and kicked him while he had his hands up in a compliant position. The incident occurred in broad daylight at the corner of Bridge Road and Plummer Boulevard.

Ricardo, a father described by his family as a loving and hardworking provider, was detained by ICE agents on July 4th in Phelan, San Bernardino County, California. According to a family social media post, he was taken by masked agents on Saturday morning. His daughter Naydelin created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for immigration legal fees, bond if available, and household bills to support the family during his detention.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Dominican Republic native and baseball standout at Savannah State University, was detained by ICE agents on July 3, 2026, outside his girlfriend's apartment complex in Clifton Park, New York. Sandoval, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration on a full athletic scholarship and had recently been named MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game. According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, ICE agents blocked his car as he was leaving for the gym and followed him to the apartment door; during the encounter, his phone was broken and his state ID was lost. DHS stated that Sandoval's F-1 student visa was terminated in April 2025 after he failed to adhere to visa requirements. He was held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $12,000 for legal representation, and Savannah State's president Dr. Jermaine Whirl worked with the family and an immigration attorney to secure his release.

Tareq Alkhudari, a legal permanent resident living in Brooklyn, NY, was detained by ICE on July 3 as he was leaving his apartment. He was taken to a detention center in Louisiana without warning and is reported to be separated from his medications and basic needs. He is "a writer, filmmaker, and activist who has dedicated his life to fighting for freedom and justice for marginalized groups. As an art teacher, he is cherished by his students and their families, inspiring creativity and hope in those around him." His friends have launched a fundraising campaign to cover his bail bond, legal fees, and travel expenses to help secure his release and return to New York.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested by ICE on Sunday while driving to a soccer game in Salt Lake City. His wife Veronica reported that the family was not expecting to be caught in the enforcement sweep, having no criminal record and paying taxes yearly. Their 13-year-old son was traumatized by the arrest. DHS stated that Arturo had illegally reentered the United States and would be held for deportation. The arrest occurred during an ICE surge in which the agency detained more than 10,000 people in five days following orders to increase arrest rates.

A 56-year-old Mexican citizen who entered the United States lawfully on a border-crossing visa in 1994 and has resided in the US for 32 years. She was apprehended by Immigration and Naturalization Services during an airport raid following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, released on $10,000 bond, and accepted Voluntary Departure from Denver Immigration Court in 2004. On July 3, 2026, she was arrested by ICE at Denver International Airport while attempting to board a domestic flight and was detained without being told the reason for her arrest or given documentation regarding her detention. She filed a Verified Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus challenging her detention as improper under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a). The respondents did not oppose the petition. Judge Regina M. Rodriguez granted her habeas petition and ordered her immediate release within 24 hours, with release conditions limited to those specified in 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(3), and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a hearing where they must prove by clear and convincing evidence that re-detention is warranted.

An Indian citizen who entered the U.S. on July 15, 2023, was detained on July 3, 2026, when he appeared at a local ICE office for a routine check-in appointment. He had been released on his own recognizance in an Alternatives to Detention program and had a pending asylum application with valid employment authorization. The court found his detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release, prohibiting future detention without seven days' notice and a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter.

An immigration detainee held at California City Detention Center filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging her detention. Respondents argued she was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(c)(1)(A) due to a 2014 petty theft conviction under California Penal Code § 484(a), claiming this made her inadmissible as having committed a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT). However, the court found that she qualifies for the petty offense exception because she has only one CIMT conviction, the petty theft offense carries a maximum penalty of less than one year (6 months), and she was sentenced to 180 days or less. The court rejected respondents' argument that a separate simple battery conviction disqualified her from the exception, noting that simple battery is not categorically a CIMT. The court granted the petition for writ of habeas corpus and ordered respondents to provide her with a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) within seven days, or release her if they fail to do so.

Oxana's father was detained by ICE and deported to Peru after living in the United States for 36 years. He has just arrived in Peru and is struggling to meet basic living expenses as he rebuilds his life in a country where he has no established support system. His family, now separated by thousands of miles, created a GoFundMe to help him cover food, hygiene items, clothing, transportation, and other daily necessities during this transition.

A lawful permanent resident with a valid green card was unexpectedly detained by ICE at an airport in Michigan while returning home from a family vacation. He has lived in the United States since childhood. He is now facing immigration proceedings that could separate him from his home and family. His supporters are fundraising for legal representation to help him fight his case.

Two Lane County residents identified by initials H-F-M-J and A-V-L were detained by ICE officers during a vehicle stop near Eugene on July 3, 2026. According to legal petitions filed by Catholic Community Services of Lane County, the officers boxed in the vehicle without displaying arrest warrants, explaining the reason for the stop, or identifying themselves as immigration officials. The petitions allege the arrests were based solely on the detainees' perceived race and ethnicity rather than individualized assessment of flight risk or immigration status, and claim officers failed to inquire about family, employment, or community ties. ICE stated the detainees were arrested during a targeted enforcement action and that warrants had been issued for both men.

ICE conducted enforcement operations at two laundromats in southern Madison on Tuesday, July 3, 2026, detaining five people total—three at the Fish Hatchery Road location and two at the Todd Drive location (Little Big Load Laundromat). According to laundromat owners Roger and Nancy Hansen, one detainee was bloodied after being slammed to the floor during the operation. The apprehension at Todd Drive occurred just after 1:45 p.m., with witnesses reporting two or three unidentified men were taken. Madison police reviewed video of the apprehension but were not requested to respond or informed of the operation by ICE. The detentions were part of a broader series of ICE enforcement operations across Wisconsin, with at least 10 people detained in the Madison area and 39 arrested statewide.