Human Impact Project

A man who has lived in the United States since January 2008 was apprehended by immigration authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada in August 2026 and is currently held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, Nevada. He is charged with having entered the United States without inspection or parole and is not in expedited removal proceedings, is not subject to mandatory detention based on criminal charges, and has no final or reinstated removal order against him. He has a prior DUI conviction but no other criminal history noted. He has not yet requested a bond hearing before an Immigration Court. As a member of the certified class in Jacobo-Ramirez v. Mullin, he filed a habeas corpus petition asserting that he is being unlawfully detained because DHS and the Executive Office for Immigration Review have failed to comply with the court's declaratory judgment requiring bond-hearing consideration under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). He asks the court to order his release within one day or, alternatively, to require a bond hearing within seven days.

ICE's Boston field office conducted a four-day targeted enforcement operation the week of August 24 in southern Connecticut, arresting 118 people. Officials said many of those arrested had previously been released from local jails after officials declined to honor ICE detainers. Those detained include individuals from Honduras, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala, with charges or convictions ranging from sexual assault against a child, child abuse, weapons offenses, drug dealing, and assault. ICE named one individual, Harvin Rivera-Guardado, in connection with the operation. An ICE field office director criticized Connecticut's sanctuary policies, including the TRUST Act, saying they obstruct enforcement efforts.

The petitioner, an immigration detainee held in ICE custody at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, was arrested on August 24, 2026. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus along with a motion for a temporary restraining order seeking immediate release, arguing his detention violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights and the Administrative Procedure Act. Respondents failed to file an opposition by the court-ordered deadline, and when they eventually responded, they stated they were not presenting an opposition argument and consented to relief being granted. The court granted the habeas petition, finding the detention unlawful, and ordered Respondents to immediately release him in the same position he was in before his arrest, including return of his documents and possessions. The court also enjoined Respondents from re-detaining him unless a hearing before a neutral arbitrator determines re-incarceration would be lawful, and barred placing him on GPS or electronic monitoring upon release. Judgment was entered in his favor and the case was closed.

Juan Miguel Aldape (Aldape-Palacios), a Newberg, Oregon resident of about 22 years and devout Catholic, was detained by masked federal immigration agents without a warrant while shopping for construction supplies with coworkers outside a Lowe's in McMinnville. A coworker who confirmed U.S. citizenship was released, while Aldape and another coworker were arrested; ICE described the action as part of a 'targeted enforcement operation.' Family members say he has no criminal record, is a taxpayer, and serves as primary caregiver for his youngest son, who has autism, as well as a grandfather whose grandchildren call him 'Papa Juan.' He was transferred through ICE facilities in Portland and Tacoma before being moved to the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, and his family said they could not reach him for over a week and struggled to secure legal representation. Advocates from Innovation Law Lab and Unidos Bridging Community, along with relatives including daughter-in-law Ashleen Aldape, said the warrantless arrest violated a February federal court order barring such ICE arrests in Oregon.

Amson Charleston, a 26-year-old soccer coach, IT specialist, and translator at Lincoln Charter School in Pennsylvania, was detained by Philadelphia ICE officers after a traffic stop in West York Borough. West York Police Chief Matthew Millsap said Charleston was stopped for careless driving in an unregistered, uninspected vehicle and had an outstanding warrant for other motor vehicle offenses before being turned over to ICE. Charleston, a Central Penn College graduate originally from Gonaïves, Haiti, who also coached with Keystone Soccer Club, is now held at the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His fiancé, pastor, players and their families say he had a valid work permit, a pending asylum case, and Temporary Protected Status that ended July 27; DHS says he entered lawfully on Sept. 26, 2020, and overstayed his visa. A Change.org petition and a GoFundMe for his legal expenses have raised over $13,000.

Matthew Christian Torres, a 31-year-old security guard employed by Akima Protective Services at Krome Detention Center, was arrested on a felony grand theft charge after Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies said he stole $5,382 from a detainee who was in the process of being deported. The detainee discovered the money missing while staff were preparing his deportation paperwork, and surveillance footage reportedly showed Torres placing the cash in a log book without recording it, concealing it in his jacket, hiding in an employee bathroom, and later moving it to his pants pocket without alerting a supervisor. Torres, who lives in Palmetto Bay, was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond set at $2,500, and ICE said it takes allegations of misconduct seriously and would investigate.

ICE agents arrested one person in Bridgeport on Monday as part of a broader wave of enforcement activity across Connecticut that also included arrests in Danbury and Stamford. Advocates said little is known about the circumstances of the Bridgeport arrest. Community groups activated an emergency protocol to verify reports and connect affected families with legal support.

ICE agents detained four people working for tree removal companies in Stamford, part of enforcement operations that continued across the city Monday through Wednesday and extended to Danbury and Bridgeport, with a total of at least 21 people detained, according to CT Students for a Dream. Agents were reported operating near locations including Home Depot, Richmond Hill Avenue, Lockwood Avenue, Wilson Street, Harbor Point and the Stamford train station, and some detained individuals were later released after showing documentation. Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons said she was "horrified by the cruelty" of the actions, stating that the city's streets should not see people "randomly removed" with their rights violated, and reaffirmed Stamford as a welcoming city for immigrants. ICE said it does not discuss specific operations for security reasons.

At least 16 people were arrested by ICE agents in Danbury on Monday, according to community advocates, with about half detained at a day laborer site in Kennedy Park and others stopped outside residences or businesses. Advocates said agents returned to the park twice to make arrests, and that one detained man requires dialysis treatment while another is the father of a high school student. Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said city officials were not notified in advance of the operation and said agents appeared to be 'pulling random people' who looked Latino. Gov. Ned Lamont said the arrests did not appear targeted at violent criminals, calling those detained 'laborers seeking work' and 'parents walking their children to school.'

A detainee at the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade County reported that $5,382 belonging to him went missing while staff were preparing his deportation documents. Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies say surveillance footage showed 31-year-old Matthew Christian Torres, a security guard employed by contractor Akima Protective Services, placing the cash in a log book without recording it, then concealing it in his jacket and later his cargo pants without ever reporting it to a supervisor. Torres was arrested on a charge of third-degree grand theft and held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond. ICE said it takes allegations of staff misconduct seriously and investigates such complaints.

Cristy Maryori Villafranca Trejo, 29, wife of active-duty Army Sgt. Hedár Leonel Turcios Juárez at Fort Bliss, was detained by ICE agents on July 11 outside an El Paso-area Walmart as their 6-year-old U.S. citizen daughter watched masked agents handcuff her. She fled Honduras in 2016 and received a 2017 removal order after missing a court hearing she says she was never notified of; she had no criminal record and served as the family's primary caregiver, including during her husband's nine-month deployment. She was held at Camp East Montana on Fort Bliss, where she and her husband reported an infection, unsanitary conditions and dirty clothing, consistent with a Human Rights Watch report citing excessive force and medical neglect at the facility. Despite a pending Board of Immigration Appeals case and military parole-in-place application, she was deported to Honduras on August 24. Turcios, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2024, said, "She has been my everything... I'm just asking for my family to be together so I can continue with my military career," and has continued his duties while arranging child care alone and paying for private legal representation. Rep. Veronica Escobar opened a congressional inquiry and visited her in detention, saying her heart "breaks for her, her children and the soldier who must feel so betrayed by the country he is sacrificing for." She is at least the seventh spouse or parent of an active-duty service member deported under the administration's immigration crackdown, according to an Associated Press tally.

Federal immigration officers pinned a pickup truck on Interstate 55 before chasing and detaining a man, who was then taken into custody in the McKinley Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side, according to Ald. Julia Ramirez. Illinois State Police confirmed a two-vehicle crash involving ICE agents near the I-55 northbound ramp to Damen Avenue, with no injuries reported. A reporter heard an ICE officer tell protesters the man had a prior DUI. About a dozen federal vehicles arrived on South Wolcott Avenue, drawing a crowd of residents who shouted for agents to leave and remained at the scene for hours.

Marianita, a woman held in ICE detention, said sickness spread among detainees while her requests for medical care were ignored. She described being soaked with cold water, forced to dry off in front of an air conditioner, and later confined in a freezing punishment room as her pneumonia worsened. She was transferred through ICE facilities in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas during her detention.

Oswaldo José Pirela, a 34-year-old Venezuelan-born catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres' minor-league system, was detained by immigration authorities upon arrival at El Paso International Airport while traveling for work. Pirela lives near Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and two U.S.-born daughters, previously played in the Texas Rangers' minor-league system after signing in 2009, and has coached for the Padres since 2024. He entered the U.S. in 2014, applied for asylum in 2015 citing fears of persecution over criticism of the Venezuelan government, and has a pending green card application along with a work permit his family says remains valid. DHS said his authorized stay expired in February 2018 and that pending applications or work permits do not confer legal status. His sister, Daniela Pirela, said he has lived in the U.S. for 12 years, and relatives described him as a devoted father, dedicated coach, and man of faith respected by coworkers and players, seeking help from Rep. Abraham Hamadeh. The Padres organization said it was aware of the situation and gathering details. His detention followed a broader ICE practice, begun in July, of using TSA flight lists to identify and detain travelers at airports. Pirela was released from ICE custody on bond on August 24 and reunited with his family, pending removal proceedings.

ICE arrested Khayrullo Payzullaev, 30, a Uzbek national and commercial truck driver, during a targeted enforcement action at a travel stop in Hamilton, New Jersey. He held a Pennsylvania non-domiciled commercial driver's license. A Philadelphia immigration judge had ordered his detention on July 21, and he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

ICE officers arrested Zokhid Zakhidov, 37, in Woodbridge and Khayrullo Payzullaev, 30, in Hamilton, New Jersey, on August 23 as part of a Department of Homeland Security effort targeting fraudulent commercial driver's license practices. Both men are Uzbek citizens; Zakhidov had a New York commercial learner permit and a prior DWI conviction along with pending assault and harassment charges, while Payzullaev held a non-domiciled Pennsylvania commercial driver's license and had been ordered detained by an immigration judge in Philadelphia. ICE also reported that Cranbury Police had previously arrested Zakhidov as a fugitive from justice in April 2026. Both men remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Nilton Ribeiro, a corrections officer at the Cumberland County Jail in Maine since 2023, was arrested by ICE agents on August 22, 2026, during a targeted enforcement operation. He is originally from Angola and entered the U.S. in September 2022 with permission to stay until March 2023, but DHS said he remained after that date expired. Sheriff Kevin Joyce called him 'a very good employee' and 'a very good corrections officer' who passed a rigorous hiring process, including a background check, polygraph test, and I-9 verification. Jail administrator Timothy Kortes said he was a satisfactory employee who met job expectations and had notified the jail of an immigration issue before missing work. Ribeiro remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and is at least the fourth Cumberland County Jail corrections officer detained by ICE in the past 16 months.

Ulises, originally from Veracruz, Mexico, was deported after living in the United States for 30 years, leaving behind his wife and two sons who remain there. He was held at an ICE detention center in Texas before being flown to Tulum with no money, and said he plans to apply for a passport and visa so he can reunite with his family through legal channels.

Santiago, a father from Oaxaca, Mexico, was deported after years of working in the United States and sending remittances that funded his children's education, including one child who recently graduated with a specialty in gastronomy. He was held at an ICE detention center in Texas before being flown to Tulum without money or belongings, and relied on relatives to pay for a flight home.

David, from Querétaro, Mexico, was deported after working in the United States for more than two years to repay a $16,000 debt he borrowed to make the trip north. He was held at an ICE detention center in Texas before being flown to Tulum, arriving with no money or belongings and relying on family and friends to pay for a domestic flight home. He returned to Mexico with no savings and no job.