Human Impact Project

About 1,400 people gathered at the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas for the No Kings protest against immigration enforcement on March 29, 2026. Six people were arrested by Metro police on various charges including refusing to remove a prohibited item, throwing rocks, battery against protesters, and pedestrian in roadway violations. Additional demonstrations took place in North Las Vegas and Henderson.

On March 27, 2026, 25-year-old Jhonathan Cosme Antonio of Carpinteria encountered ICE agents attempting to apprehend him. After fleeing on foot, he jumped the perimeter fence of Santa Barbara County Main Jail to evade them. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the fence jump and was discovered hiding between storage containers. He was transported to a hospital for treatment and issued a citation for trespassing by Santa Barbara County deputies.

Carlos Corte-Corte was arrested on March 28, 2026, after leading a four-year-old child out of a laundromat in Patchogue, New York; the child was found at a nearby library. ICE arrested him on March 31 and initiated removal proceedings. According to DHS, Corte-Corte illegally entered the U.S. at least four times since 2020, with three prior removals. He was charged with second-degree kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.

On March 28, 2026, a charter deportation flight carrying several dozen Russian citizens departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, and arrived in Moscow on March 29 via Newark and Cairo. The deportees were gathered from five or six immigration detention centers across the United States. Human rights advocates reported harsh transfer conditions including shackles and extended periods without seating. Some deportees faced FSB questioning upon arrival, and human rights organizations noted concerns about potential Kremlin reprisals against returnees, including those who had opposed the invasion of Ukraine.

A Trump-appointed federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against ICE for grave violations of detainees' Fifth Amendment rights during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. The court found that ICE isolated thousands of people at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building without access to attorneys and ordered the agency to provide legal aid contacts, interpreters, and free phone access within one hour of detention, as well as ban rapid out-of-state transfers within 72 hours.

Yaima de las Mercedes Suárez, a mother of five including three children with autism, was arrested by ICE at Miami International Airport upon returning from Cuba, where she had traveled for family reasons including visiting her grandmother and honoring her deceased father. She faces deportation based on a 2013 conviction for theft and conspiracy in Manatee County, Florida. Under immigration law, each entry to the United States is treated as a new admission request, which can reactivate prior criminal cases. Her husband stated she had believed there were no issues with her reentry, as she had recently renewed her permanent residency.

Two people were arrested during a "No Kings" protest at Riverfront Park near an ICE facility in downtown Spokane. An 18-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly taking a Trump flag from a counterprotester, and a 32-year-old man was arrested for assaulting an officer who was attempting to detain the woman. The incident lasted approximately five minutes and involved a brief physical altercation between police and protesters.

Pheap Rom, a Cambodian national with permanent resident status in the United States since 1985, was deported to Eswatini in October 2024 under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program. Rom had completed a 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder before deportation proceedings. He was detained at Matsapha Correctional Centre in Eswatini for approximately five months without criminal charges in that country. Rom was released and repatriated to Cambodia in late March 2026, becoming the second person repatriated under the agreement. The U.S. has paid Eswatini $5.1 million to accept up to 160 deportees under this arrangement, with approximately 15-20 men deported there during this period.

Reza Zavvar, a 52-year-old Iranian green card holder who came to the U.S. as a student 40 years ago, was detained by ICE agents on June 28, 2025, while walking his dog near his Gaithersburg, Maryland home. Zavvar was granted withholding of removal to Iran in 2007 and has lived and worked legally in the U.S. for decades. He is currently held in a detention center in Texas and faces deportation. His family and attorney say they do not understand the legal basis for his detention. His case occurred as part of a surge in arrests of Iranian immigrants under the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.

Johnny Rondón Rodríguez, a Venezuelan with a pending asylum case and brain tumor, was pulled over on Interstate 75 and detained despite having no criminal charges. He was held in Orange County jail for 25 days without receiving his medication to treat the tumor, violating ICE guidelines limiting such holds to three days. A federal judge granted his immediate release after a federal prosecutor declined to argue for continued detention.

Argam Nazarian, a 27-year-old Iranian Christian who fled religious persecution and arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 2008, was arrested by ICE on June 23, 2025, while heading to work in Los Angeles. He had lived legally in Los Angeles for four years, working as a delivery driver and in air conditioning while supporting his wife and serving as a caretaker for his mother, who has chronic health conditions. An immigration judge ordered his release on bond in August 2025, finding he posed neither a flight risk nor danger to the community, but the federal government refused to release him, arguing his classification as an "applicant for admission" requires mandatory detention. Nazarian was held in ICE detention in El Paso and later transferred to Cibola County Detention Center in New Mexico, where his knee injury requiring ACL reconstruction remained untreated. The Texas Civil Rights Project challenged his detention through habeas corpus petitions. After nearly 10 months in custody, a federal judge ruled on April 17, 2026, that his detention violated his Fifth Amendment rights, and Nazarian was released. War between the U.S., Israel, and Iran beginning February 28, 2026, had disrupted ICE's deportation plans, with charter flights to Iran temporarily ceased.

Ali and Adel, an Iranian gay couple in their late 30s and early 40s, were detained by border patrol after entering the U.S. from Mexico in early 2025, seeking asylum. Both fled Iran after being arrested by morality police for their relationship, which is punishable by death under Iranian law. Their asylum claims were initially denied, and their appeals are ongoing. Adel was injured in Mexico and remains wheelchair-bound without proper medical treatment; he has experienced severe health complications including organ damage, significant weight loss, and fainting while in ICE custody. Both men face potential deportation to Iran as the Trump administration has reversed decades of policy allowing Iranians fleeing persecution to remain in the U.S. Court orders have so far prevented their deportation, though deportation flights to Iran are paused due to ongoing war. Their lawyer, Rebekah Wolf, states they did not receive full hearings on their asylum claims.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in late March requiring ICE and the Florida Department of Emergency Management to provide detained people at the Everglades Detention Facility with access to legal counsel, confidential calls, and unscheduled attorney visits. The ruling was based on testimony describing systematic denial of access to attorneys and legal materials. The case, filed by the ACLU and immigrant rights advocates, could shape legal access standards at future ICE detention facilities.

Suraj Vasal, an Indian national seeking asylum, was arrested by ICE agents on February 11, 2026, while driving a commercial truck at a weigh station near Mitchellville, Iowa, as part of "Operation ICE Wall," a joint operation between the Iowa State Patrol and ICE targeting commercial drivers near Interstate 80. Vasal was detained and held in Polk County Jail. Federal court records indicate ICE and the Iowa State Patrol were collaborating to check drivers' legal status at weigh stations. A federal judge ruled that the government violated Vasal's due process rights by conducting his bond hearing with only 30 minutes' notice and denying him adequate time to obtain legal representation, finding the agencies acted in bad faith. Vasal sued the federal government over the alleged violations of his rights.

Charles Wongso, an Indonesian national and longtime Philadelphia resident, was detained by ICE on December 11, 2025, while leaving for work. He was initially held at Philadelphia Federal Detention Center before being transferred to Moshannon ICE detention facility. His adult children, Jacqueline and Johnson, have been fighting to have his case reopened through proper legal channels, arguing ICE is attempting to proceed with deportation without following due process for the motion to reopen. As of March 27, 2026, his stay of removal was denied. The family is filing a Mandamus Injunction to stop the deportation and prevent a 10-year reentry ban, and has sought community support for the case.

A 25-year-old man scaled a fence at Santa Barbara County jail to escape ICE agents attempting to apprehend him on March 27. He was injured during the fence jump and found hiding between storage containers in the secured perimeter. He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and cited for trespassing.

A Guatemala native residing in the U.S. since 2019 was detained by ICE during a scheduled check-in on March 26, 2026. She was transferred to the Adelanto Detention Facility and held without bond based on a BIA decision requiring mandatory detention for those who entered without inspection. The court granted a TRO ordering her release or bond hearing within seven days.

A 22-year-old Peruvian national with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status was arrested by Burbank Police on March 26, 2026, but never charged with any crime. The next day, ICE took him into custody from the police department and detained him at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. The federal court ordered his immediate release, finding that ICE violated his due process rights by re-detaining him without proper notice or a bond hearing.

A noncitizen who had been previously released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on March 26, 2026. The court found that the government violated due process by failing to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing before re-detaining him. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention and required the government to provide seven days' notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before any future re-detention.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Scrappys Auto Salvage in Rockledge on March 26, 2026, following a quiet investigation that began in September 2025 into vehicle documentation violations. Theodore Gross was arrested on over 5,000 charges including failure to obtain certificates of destruction, motor vehicle regulation violations, grand theft, fraud, operating a chop shop, and racketeering, and is being held without bond. The operation resulted in the recovery of 19 stolen vehicles and seizure of tow trucks. Investigators also detained 13 undocumented immigrants from Afghanistan, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala during the raid, which drew immigration rights activists to the scene and raised concerns about local law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration agencies.

On March 25, 2026, ICE detained six Guatemalan workers aged 18-40 at a residential roofing site in Cambridge, Maryland. The homeowner allegedly summoned federal agents while the workers were still on the roof to avoid paying approximately $10,000 in wages owed for the three-day job. A coworker with permanent residency, Bryan Polanco, livestreamed the detention on social media, capturing agents surrounding the property and the homeowner allegedly providing a ladder to help agents reach the workers. ICE disputes claims that the homeowner tipped them off, and no charges have been filed.

Jaqueline Ramirez Juarez, a National Honor Society member and honors student at Cedartown High School in Polk County, Georgia, was detained by ICE weeks before graduation. The senior, accepted to Georgia Highlands College to study nursing, was arrested by Polk County Police on March 26 for traffic violations and held in county jail for four days before ICE took her into custody following her release. According to a GoFundMe page created on her behalf, she has legal immigration status, has no criminal record, lives in a single-parent household where she helps care for younger siblings, and had lived in the United States since childhood. Her family is raising money to pay an immigration bond and legal fees to secure her release while her case is reviewed.

Alberto Rodríguez, 73, a Cuban who had lived nearly 50 years in the United States, was deported to Mexico as part of the Trump administration's third-country deportation program. He arrived in Villahermosa at 2 a.m. in prison garb and spent his first nights sleeping in a park. Rodríguez, who uses a cane due to a stroke that leaves him perpetually foggy, now sits outside a Catholic shelter with limited prospects for work or medical care. He has expressed suicidal ideation since his arrival.

A Venezuelan asylum-seeker who fled political persecution and entered the United States in September 2023. On January 30, 2024, she applied for admission at the Nogales, Arizona port of entry, was charged with inadmissibility, and was paroled for two years. During her parole, she was authorized to work, support her family living in the United States, and filed an asylum application. On March 26, 2026, she was arrested by Utah law enforcement based on an outstanding warrant for a domestic violence matter that was ultimately resolved without charges or conviction. She was then transferred to Department of Homeland Security custody and transported to California City Detention Center. On May 19, 2026, she filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging her re-detention without a bond hearing. The court granted her petition, finding she has a protected liberty interest in her release and is entitled to a pre-deprivation bond hearing before re-detention can be justified.

A woman who entered the United States on August 2, 2021 on a B-2 visitor visa filed an I-485 application for adjustment of status on February 27, 2026. On March 26, 2026, she attended a biometrics appointment scheduled in connection with her pending adjustment of status application when she was detained by ICE authorities at that appointment. Following her detention, she was provided a bond hearing where an immigration judge concluded she posed a flight risk and danger to the community based on a dismissed misdemeanor charge. She filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus and motion for temporary restraining order challenging her detention. On May 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted her habeas corpus petition, finding that ICE improperly used the adjustment of status process as a vehicle for "gotcha law enforcement" in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The court ordered her immediate release on the conditions she was subject to prior to her detention and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her through the adjustment of status process.

A man was detained by ICE on March 26, 2026, at approximately 6:30 AM while traveling to work at Sunrise and Vista Chino in Palm Springs. He was initially held at a facility in San Bernardino before being transferred to an undisclosed detention center. His family reports no explanation was provided for his arrest and states the detention was based on his skin color.

Neysis was detained by ICE while six months pregnant with twins. When she began experiencing painful contractions, she was shackled to a hospital bed instead of receiving compassionate medical care. The incident has prompted calls for Congressional investigation into detention facility conditions.

The Trump administration's crackdown on student visas has resulted in cancellations affecting some of Africa's best and brightest students. The policy has separated at least one Iranian couple, with the wife on a student visa unable to reunite with her husband due to the travel ban.

Six Guatemalan workers were detained by ICE agents at a home in Cambridge, Maryland, after the homeowner allegedly called immigration authorities on them while they were fixing her roof. The incident was livestreamed by coworker Bryan Polanco, a Dominican national with permanent residency, who accused the homeowner of calling ICE and handing agents a ladder to reach the workers. According to reports, the homeowner owed the workers $10,000 and allegedly threatened to call ICE again if they returned to finish the job.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested an undocumented immigrant on March 26, 2026, while he was being driven by his attorney to a court appearance in Bellefonte. The man, described as a father of two who had lived in the community for nearly two decades, was pulled over on East College Avenue by five ICE agents in unmarked vehicles. State College Police confirmed they had no prior knowledge of the operation and did not participate. The arrest marked at least the second ICE detention of an individual en route to a Centre County court proceeding within a month.

Martha Ruíz, a Salvadoran woman detained by ICE, suffered a stroke while in custody. She requested medical assistance for weeks but was not helped until she collapsed and required hospitalization. After six months of separation, she was reunited with her family. Her daughters allege ICE failed to provide adequate medical care.

A U.S. lawmaker confronted the Border Patrol commissioner during a Congressional hearing about an incident where Border Patrol agents allegedly pepper sprayed a U.S. citizen family—including a baby—through their vehicle window as they attempted to leave a parking lot. The commissioner acknowledged that pepper spraying into a moving vehicle window is not proper procedure and said he would follow up on whether any agents were investigated or disciplined.

Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a 52-year-old Mexican national married to Antonia Tovar for 28 years with two adult children, died of COVID-19 pneumonia at Adelanto ICE Processing Center on March 25, 2026. He was arrested by ICE on February 23 after appearing at a courthouse in Torrance for a traffic ticket, following a conviction for possession of a controlled substance and theft. During intake screening, staff documented pre-existing medical conditions including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. His wife reported that despite these documented conditions, he did not receive adequate medical care during his month-long detention, complaining of poor food, crowded conditions, and lack of medicine for minor ailments. On the evening of his death, he removed his shirt while feeling feverish, lost consciousness, and was pronounced dead at Victor Valley Global Medical Center approximately one hour after emergency services were called. His death was one of at least 14 ICE custody deaths reported between January and late March 2026. A federal judge subsequently ordered sweeping improvements to Adelanto, including potable water, adequate sanitation, improved medical care, and appointment of independent monitors.

Deiver Henao Jimenez, a 9-year-old asylum-seeker from Colombia, was detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas with his parents beginning in early March after a routine immigration check-in. Community activists launched advocacy efforts calling for his release so he could return to school and compete in his state spelling bee. After pleading during a video call with children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, ICE released the family on humanitarian parole in late March, allowing Deiver to attend the competition.

José Guadalupe Ramos Solano, 36, a Mexican national, died on March 25, 2026, after being found unconscious in his bunk at Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California. He was rushed to Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:30 p.m. Ramos was arrested in May 2025 for possession of a controlled substance and theft of personal property in Redondo Beach, and was detained by ICE on February 23, 2026, during an operation in Torrance before being transferred to Adelanto. During intake screening on February 24, staff identified he had diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia and he received daily medication for these conditions. According to detainees, guards did not respond promptly when Ramos became ill; witnesses said he had been having trouble breathing and removed his shirt because he felt he was suffocating. Staff attempted CPR when he was found unresponsive. ICE reported that the cause of death remained undetermined.

Luis has been held in ICE custody since March 25, 2026, while fighting a removal order. His sister organized a fundraiser to help cover legal expenses and financial support during his detention. His attorneys are reported to be optimistic about his case.

An Indian national and commercial truck driver entered the United States on May 27, 2022, and was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection. On September 7, 2022, he was served with a Notice to Appear charging removability under INA § 212(a)(6)(A)(i), and DHS released him on an Order of Release on Recognizance with conditions including electronic monitoring and regular ICE reporting. He has no criminal history, is not subject to a final removal order, and fully complied with all release conditions. On March 25, 2026, while working as a commercial truck driver on Interstate 54, he was stopped by highway patrol officers without any traffic violation, citation, or identified lawful basis for detention. Highway patrol officers nevertheless contacted ICE and transferred him to ICE custody, and he was subsequently transferred to the Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. The government argued his detention was mandatory under expedited removal procedures, but the federal district court found that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release, while enjoining respondents from re-detaining him without seven days' notice and a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter.

A Colombian woman working as an Uber driver was detained by ICE in Florida despite having a pending asylum case, a valid driver's license, and work authorization. Her family reports constant transfers, lack of information about her whereabouts, poor detention conditions, and concerns about potential deportation while the family remains separated.

Ciocolata Munteanu, a 25-26-year-old Irish citizen, was deported by ICE from Los Angeles to Dublin on March 24, 2026, after living in the U.S. for five years. Before her deportation, ICE confiscated her car and $20,000 in savings, leaving her with $200. Upon arrival at Dublin Airport, she was arrested on outstanding shoplifting charges from 2018-2019 for stealing two hams and cosmetics when she was a teenager in Cork. She pleaded guilty in Cork District Court, paid €380 in compensation, and received fines totaling €200 (€100 per theft).

José Guadalupe Ramos, a 52-year-old from Guanajuato, Mexico, worked in industrial laundry and was described by his wife and children as hardworking, responsible, and a good person. He was arrested on February 23, 2026, in Torrance, California, and transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Ramos had pre-existing medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and had recently undergone nasal surgery. During his month in custody, a medical exam on March 23 found poor glycemic control, elevated blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. On March 25, 2026, he was found unconscious in his bunk with saliva coming from his mouth and died shortly after despite staff initiating CPR and emergency services transport to Victor Valley Global Medical Center. His family demanded justice and is conducting a forensic investigation with plans to file a civil case for medical negligence against GEO Group and ICE, alleging inadequate medical care and harsh detention conditions contributed to his death. His death was the fourth at Adelanto in 2026 and the 14th migrant death in ICE custody nationally that year, prompting Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to announce her government would file a legal brief in a class-action lawsuit alleging unconstitutional conditions at the detention center.

On March 25, 2026, ICE agents conducted a targeted vehicle stop to arrest Xa Lee, an undocumented individual from Laos with prior criminal convictions. During the stop, Lee attempted to flee and struck an ICE officer with his vehicle. The officer was not injured. Lee fled the scene and remained at large at the time of the announcement. Xa Lee, a Laotian citizen with a criminal history and a 2010 deportation order, attempted to strike an ICE officer with his vehicle during a traffic stop in Sacramento on March 25. Lee fled the scene and remains at large. The ICE officer was not injured during the incident.

An ICE enforcement operation in San Juan, Texas resulted in a male driver being taken into custody by ICE agents. A young girl present at the scene was observed in clear distress and having a panic attack as the agent reached through the car window during the escalating encounter. Neighbors witnessed the incident and the impact on the family.

Several Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota reported being targeted and harassed by ICE agents during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. State Rep. Brad Tabke said agents ran his license plate, photographed his home, and conducted surveillance outside his residence multiple times in January and February. Other DFL lawmakers reported similar incidents including verbal harassment, agents greeting them by name without prior interaction, and agents taking photographs around their homes.

Bertha Olga Gómez Fong, wife of former Chihuahua Governor César Duarte, was arrested by ICE in El Paso on March 25, 2026, and is being held at the El Paso Service Processing Center. The arrest circumstances remain unclear, with preliminary reports suggesting either a routine immigration check or a coordinated operation related to corruption allegations. As of March 26, 2026, Mexican officials have not initiated formal intervention, and the case could result in either deportation or extradition proceedings depending on bilateral protocols activated by Mexico.

An Indian immigrant who has lived in the US for 25 years was first detained by ICE in March 2012 following a 2007 conviction for attempted lewd acts with a minor. He lost his lawful permanent resident status and has been under Orders of Supervision since 2017, requiring regular ICE check-ins. The court granted a temporary restraining order preventing ICE from re-arresting him without notice and a hearing before a neutral adjudicator.

A Guatemalan citizen who had been released on bond and granted withholding of removal in 2013 was detained on March 24, 2026 during a routine ICE check-in. He had fully complied with his supervision order for over 12 years with no new criminal history. ICE agents told him he was being arrested because of the new administration and they would find a third country if they couldn't send him to Guatemala. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring his immediate release.

Adrian Ramirez, a Dominican Republic native with an approved juvenile immigrant visa, was detained by ICE on January 16, 2026, while traveling to work in Syracuse after being stopped by agents at a work site. He was held at detention facilities in Batavia and Louisiana, including Jackson Parish Correctional Center, for approximately nine weeks. With support from his Syracuse community, including All Saints Catholic Church members who raised money and wrote letters on his behalf, and assistance from strangers in Louisiana, Ramirez was released on bond with an ankle monitor and returned home to reunite with his family, including his infant son.

Kevin Ntabo, a Kenyan-born father of four living in Edmond, Washington, was detained by ICE at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December 2025 after returning from Kenya where he attended his father's funeral. Officials flagged his immigration status as irregular upon arrival. He was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma awaiting a court hearing scheduled for March 17, 2026, to determine whether he would be deported or allowed to remain with his wife and four children.

Jackson Kabut Gichema, a 48-year-old Kenyan national, was arrested by ICE on March 24, 2026, and ordered deported following a conviction in Baltimore County. Gichema entered the United States legally on a visitor's visa in 2003 but remained without legal status after his authorization expired. A 2011 Maryland Court of Special Appeals decision upheld his conviction, triggering mandatory deportation proceedings as the offense qualifies as an aggravated felony under U.S. immigration law.

Wilmar Aristo Pablos-Miguel, a 42-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served on March 24, 2026, for fraud and misuse of visa documents. He was arrested during an ICE workplace raid at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro on January 16, 2026, where he had been working with a counterfeit Green Card since June 2025. An ICE detainer has been issued for his removal proceedings. The case was part of Operation Country Roads, which resulted in over 650 arrests statewide.