Human Impact Project

An immigration detainee held in ICE custody at the Adelanto Detention Facility in California filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 on April 1, 2026, challenging the lawfulness of his detention. He argued that his continued detention violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process. On April 3, 2026, the respondents (represented by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche) filed a response expressly stating they did not oppose his motion for a temporary restraining order. United States Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar found the requested restraining order was warranted based on the motion and record. The court granted his motion and ordered his immediate release from immigration detention.

U.S. Rep. André Carson visited Miami Correctional Facility and spoke with detainees who reported systemic issues including a nonfunctioning intercom system, delayed medical care, inadequate healthcare, barriers to legal services, and lack of access to basic necessities. Two detainees, Lorth Sim and Tuan Van Bui, died in custody in February and April 2026. Carson is calling for a full investigation into both deaths and for the closure of the ICE detention center.

A tattoo artist organized a fundraiser flash day on April 10th at a tattoo shop in Fort Lauderdale to raise money for attorney fees and living expenses after her 65-year-old father was detained by ICE. The father is the primary provider for the family, including her mother who requires full-time care and two disabled sisters.

Nairoby Cabrera posted on Instagram requesting financial assistance for her son, Daniel Zamora, who is currently detained by ICE. The family is seeking funds to cover legal fees and immigration bond costs to provide him with adequate legal representation.

Ying-Hsi Chou, a Taiwanese citizen living in South Australia, faces deportation within 28 days due to a visa application error from 2012 in which she failed to declare a previous visit to Australia. She is married to an Australian citizen and has three Australian-born children. If deported, she would be separated from her family and must wait at least three years before reapplying for an Australian visa.

Jesús Eduardo Marín, a Venezuelan father of three who entered the U.S. 12 years ago, was detained by Border Patrol during a traffic stop on April 8. He has been in asylum proceedings. Agents stopped him after identifying his vehicle's license plates as belonging to a non-citizen. His family is raising funds for legal representation and bail.

Miguel Rosas Ruiz, a Mexican-born business owner and father of four from Ypsilanti, was detained by ICE on March 10, 2026, while driving to work on Carpenter Road. He is being held at the North Lake Detention Center in Baldwin. His daughter, Morelia Rosas Martinez, spoke publicly about the emotional impact of his detention on their family and others affected by immigration enforcement. The Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor City Councils passed resolutions advocating for his release and a bond hearing.

A man with no criminal record and no standing deportation order was arrested by nine plainclothes, masked ICE agents at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building housing the Seattle Immigration Court on Tuesday while attending a hearing on his asylum petition. His attorney, Eilish Villa Malone, documented the arrest on video. The man, who fled to the U.S. seeking asylum after being kidnapped at age 16 and forced to work for criminal organizations in his home country, was in court for what was supposed to be the final step in his asylum case when he was apprehended and taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. His attorney plans to file a habeas petition challenging the arrest as unlawful, noting this marks the only known ICE courthouse arrest in Seattle since early summer 2025.

A 35-year-old mother of two was detained by ICE agents in an unmarked van outside a New Jersey courthouse after testifying as a witness in a sexual assault case. She was subsequently forced to self-deport from the United States.

Octavio Andrade-Aguilera, a Mexican national, was transferred to ICE custody at the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama on April 5, 2026, after a federal judge in Chattanooga had ordered his release to avoid harming his wife and disabled American citizen daughter. Andrade-Aguilera is the sole financial support for his family and faces federal charges for reentering the country without authorization.

Bernadette Gamez, 36, of Modesto, and Wendy Villagran, 22, of Stockton, were arrested Tuesday evening after police said they painted 'ICE OUT' on a public roadway during a demonstration near Doctors Medical Center. Both were booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime. The protest was organized in response to an ICE shooting incident in nearby Patterson. The city's Public Works Department is working to remove the graffiti.

A pregnant Venezuelan woman was arrested by ICE while traveling to a medical center in Seattle. Her 10-month-old baby was also taken into ICE custody during the operation. According to local police, the arrest was executed by the Department of Homeland Security based on a criminal court order allegedly related to human trafficking allegations, not immigration violations.

Tucker Collins, an 18-year-old USC freshman, lost his right eye after a Department of Homeland Security officer fired a less-lethal projectile at him during a "No Kings" rally near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. Collins was attending the protest to take photos when he was struck directly in the eye, destroying his eyeball and fracturing bones in his eye socket. He is preparing to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against DHS, alleging the officer violated a federal injunction.

ICE agents arrested a U.S. citizen in Chicago after alleging she made a threat. The woman and onlookers disputed the allegation. Agents forced her to the ground and zip-tied her hands. The arrest followed a failed ICE attempt to access a nearby laundromat, where protesters had gathered.

ICE detained a mother of a newly enlisted U.S. military member without warning or explanation. The woman had lived in the United States for over 35 years, paid taxes since 1992, and worked in the courts.

ICE agents arrested a nursing student in his 20s from Southern Connecticut State University on Main Street in Middletown on Tuesday, April 1st, after following him from the courthouse and blocking in his vehicle at the intersection of Main and Court streets. Middletown Mayor Gene Nocera said local police were not notified of the operation and the man was not a city resident. In response, protesters gathered on Saturday, April 4th at Washington and Main streets to oppose the arrest and ICE enforcement activity in the area, with an additional rally scheduled for Monday outside the university library demanding the student's release. The Trump administration launched "Operation Catch of the Day," an ICE enforcement operation in Maine targeting noncitizens the administration claims have criminal records. ICE agents identified nearly 1,400 individuals for potential detention in Portland, prompting criticism from local officials and Democratic state leaders who questioned the tactics and raised concerns about impacts on Maine's Somali American community.

Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national and wife of a U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk pilot, was detained by ICE in Houston on December 5, 2025, during a routine check-in despite having been released in 2021 pending her asylum claim and consistently complying with all required appointments and hearings. She was held at the Houston Contract Detention Facility for approximately four months. A federal judge found due-process violations and ordered her release within 48 hours, permitting her to continue her immigration case outside of detention. Kenny-Velasquez reported poor conditions including overcrowding (60 women), lack of privacy, inadequate food, anxiety attacks, and limited access to medical care.

A Chinese national filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his prolonged immigration detention without a bond hearing, arguing it violated due process rights. The government conceded that he was entitled to a bond hearing and agreed to bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or risk of flight. On March 26, 2026, the federal court granted his petition and ordered respondents to arrange a bond hearing before an immigration court within seven days. The court declined to order his immediate release or issue further declaratory or injunctive relief. He must pursue any request for attorneys' fees through a separate noticed motion.

Efrain C.G., a Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in 1993 and has been working since arrival, was arrested by ICE on April 7, 2026, at the Fresno County Superior Courthouse while inquiring about charges from a December 2025 domestic violence incident. He had no prior criminal history except traffic violations and no prior immigration history. The court ordered he receive a bond hearing within 14 days or be immediately released.

Lydia Rabara Swinburne, a 39-year-old Filipino national, was detained by ICE on April 7, 2026, during a green card interview after local authorities arrested her on domestic violence charges that were later dropped. On May 2, while in custody at the California City ICE facility, she suffered a medical emergency after being given unrecognized medication; her husband alleges a medication error occurred. A federal judge ordered her release on May 18 after her family filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention.