Human Impact Project

A Venezuelan trafficking survivor identified as 'Flora' was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in January 2026 and separated from her two young children. Flora alleges she was subjected to sexual assault, forced labor, and physical abuse after arriving in the U.S. in 2023. Her legal team filed a habeas corpus petition in February 2026, arguing her detention violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and reports indicate at least 41 trafficking survivors have filed similar petitions since early 2025.

Bobby Nuñez, a tow-truck driver, was acquitted by jury of charges that he stole government property after hooking an ICE vehicle. The acquittal came as federal prosecutors under the Trump administration faced a losing streak in cases against ICE protesters, with judges citing civil rights violations and credibility issues with law enforcement testimony.

Victor Rodriguez Ocampo Sr., 54, owner of La Playa Taco Shop in Mission Beach, was seized by ICE on October 31 and deported to Mexico after approximately two months at Otay Mesa Detention Center. Rodriguez, who operated the restaurant for about 30 years, was detained despite having minimal connection to Mexico. His son has established a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $18,500 to support the family and cover legal expenses.

A shop foreman and asylum seeker who entered the United States on November 2, 2022, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on December 31, 2025, at a routine immigration check-in appointment without a warrant or explanation. Despite having complied with all terms of his release for nearly three years, maintaining employment as a shop foreman, applying for asylum and permanent residency, and having no criminal history, he was held for nearly six months without a hearing. A federal district court granted his habeas petition on June 26, 2026, finding his detention violated Fifth Amendment due process protections and ordering his immediate release.

An ICE agent driving into the Crosspoint check-in facility in San Antonio pointed a gun at two community members from Comrade Coffee Collective who were filming and distributing aid outside the facility. One volunteer said hello to the agent from a distance, prompting him to reach for his gun and point it at her despite her backing away, then at another volunteer further away.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino stated to Fox News that his agents have arrested U.S. citizens on charges of assaulting federal officers. The article also details allegations of excessive force by Border Patrol and ICE agents, including a November incident in Chicago involving Bovino during 'Operation Midway Blitz.'

Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizen children ages 17 and 19, was handcuffed and detained by ICE on Christmas Eve while shopping at a T.J. Maxx in Phoenix's West Valley. She and her husband operate the El Taco Loko restaurant and a food truck in Laveen, and she is the sole provider for her children following her husband's deportation. At the time of her arrest, she was awaiting a delayed DACA renewal, had no new criminal charges, and was wearing an ankle monitor after being released on bond following about a month in immigration detention earlier in the year. Her attorney said she had been fully complying with her orders, and she had a court hearing scheduled for 2028. She is being held at the Florence Processing Center. Arizona lawmakers called for her release, with state Sen. Analise Ortiz saying, 'People like Flor and her husband are entrepreneurs who contribute to their community.'

Immigration officials detained two U.S. citizen siblings in a Mission Bay parking lot in late December. The siblings were held in the basement of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building for most of the day before being released to their father. The family believes the incident was a case of racial profiling and reports that officers used physical force during the arrest.

An Afghan national was released on immigration parole in April 2024. On December 30, 2025, he was re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without notice or explanation. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court on April 8, 2026, challenging the re-arrest as a violation of his due process rights and federal regulations governing revocation of release. He requested either immediate release under his prior parole terms or a bond hearing. On April 14, 2026, respondents filed a return stating they did not oppose the petition. The court granted the habeas corpus petition and ordered his release from immigration custody within one business day under the terms of his prior parole notice.

Vilma Palacios, 22, a recent graduate of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing who had accepted a job at Touro Infirmary, was arrested by ICE agents on June 26, 2025, while attempting to get a vehicle inspection sticker in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Palacios had fled Honduras at age 6, applied for asylum as a child, and had previously been granted a work permit. She has since been held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile for six months, with her case drawing renewed attention in late December 2025.

An immigration detainee who had previously been released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on December 29, 2026. He challenged his ongoing immigration detention through a habeas corpus petition, arguing that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated due process. The court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to his December 29 detention.

Seven people were arrested at an ICE Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) check-in office in San Jose on Monday and Tuesday of the week of December 24, 2025, according to the Rapid Response Network (RRN) in Santa Clara County. The arrests occurred inside the office during scheduled check-ins for ICE supervision programs. RRN stated the arrests were not random and encouraged people with upcoming ICE check-in appointments to contact their organization for volunteer accompaniment.

An immigration detainee was arrested on December 29, 2025 for misdemeanor driving under the influence and providing false information to a police officer. He was granted pre-plea diversion with the case set for dismissal in June 2026. Months after his arrest, he reported for his scheduled check-in with ICE, where ICE arrested and detained him. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release.

A Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in June 1998 with no criminal history was detained by ICE on December 28, 2025, outside her home without any pre-deprivation process or notice, despite not being subject to a final removal order. She has cancer requiring monthly medical monitoring and is the primary financial support for her family. On June 18, 2026, the federal court granted her petition for habeas corpus and ordered her immediate release, finding that her detention without pre-deprivation due process violated the Constitution, and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a pre-deprivation hearing.

Malik Velimetov, 21, born in Turkmenistan but raised in Key West, was taken into custody by US Border Patrol on December 28, 2025, while traveling with his family on US 1 in Marathon. He was detained for a month at Florida's immigration detention center in the Everglades due to his pending asylum case and was released with an electronic monitor. His family, including his parents and 17-year-old sister, were also taken into custody and separated from him.

Arturo Rafael Brito Goncalvez, a 22-year-old Venezuelan pilot, was detained by ICE during a scheduled immigration appointment in Westerville, Ohio. His family claims he entered the country legally in 2023 with valid visas and employment authorization. He is fighting deportation and fears returning to Venezuela due to political persecution.

Marwan Marouf, a North Texas community leader who served the Muslim community for 30 years, was arrested by ICE on September 22, 2025, the same day his green card application was denied based on allegations from over a decade ago. He was transferred to Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, and the Muslim Legal Fund of America challenged the denial in immigration and federal court. After 60 days in detention, Marouf appeared before Immigration Judge Abdias Tida and accepted deportation rather than continue fighting his case.

Federal agents arrested a teacher at a Chicago daycare in front of parents and children; the educator had a work permit and can be heard telling authorities she had papers. In a separate incident in Los Angeles, federal immigration agents arrested a U.S. citizen during a Home Depot raid and drove away with his 1-year-old daughter still in the vehicle; the child and her grandmother are both U.S. citizens.

A native and citizen of India entered the United States without inspection on December 25, 2023 and was detained by ICE on December 26, 2025. He was issued a Notice to Appear charging him as a noncitizen present in the US who has not been admitted or paroled, and was transferred to the Torrance County Detention Center in Estancia, New Mexico. The court granted his habeas petition in part and ordered that he receive a bond hearing within seven days.

Rey David Velasco Rodriguez was arrested by ICE agents in a Williston parking lot on December 26 after agents determined he matched a physical description of someone they were investigating. Fingerprint records showed he had been issued an expedited removal notice in September 2024 and was found unlawfully in the U.S. for a third time in over a year. Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered his detention pending a probable cause hearing scheduled for January 12, 2026.