Human Impact Project

Juan Antonio Maya Torres, a Seventh-day Adventist evangelism director and deacon, was arrested during a traffic stop while driving to work in Maryland. A federal court subsequently ordered his release and a bond hearing.

Valentina Timaran Restrepo was taken into ICE custody while attending a regularly scheduled check-in appointment on February 4, 2026, and has since been held at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma. Weeks earlier she had undergone multiple invasive surgical procedures requiring continuous post-operative monitoring, and she later developed a painful, visibly growing mass at the site of her surgeries, rating her pain 8 out of 10. Although facility medical staff ordered an "urgent" ultrasound on March 27, 2026, she was told it could take up to a month to receive treatment because the procedure required external approval, prompting her to file an emergency petition for a temporary restraining order seeking immediate medical care.

Martir Zambrano Diaz, a 50-year-old native of El Salvador, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026 during an enforcement sweep in Greenport. According to a federal habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf, he arrived in the United States in 2001 and has never been arrested or convicted of any crime, directly contradicting ICE's claims that he was previously removed in 1998 and reentered illegally. He had worked at Pindar Vineyards for 23 years, where he was known for his strong work ethic, kindness, and positive attitude. His detention left his family without their primary breadwinner. Community members and advocacy groups, including OLA of Eastern Long Island, launched fundraising campaigns and legal support efforts to assist his family.

Alexandro Rivera Magaña, a longtime Greenport resident and El Salvadoran national, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026, during a raid at a Greenport coffee shop. He had worked at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic as a foreman since 2023 and is the primary breadwinner for his family, which includes a son with severe autism and a 5-year-old child. A second longtime Pindar worker, Martir Zambrano Diaz, was detained in the same raid; as of early March, the vineyard's general manager said he had not learned either worker's whereabouts. The detentions left Rivera Magaña's wife and children facing financial hardship, prompting community fundraising, while Pindar Vineyards says losing experienced crew members threatens its ability to complete vine pruning before spring budbreak.

Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old green card-holding Eritrean imam and respected leader in the Muslim community, died on December 14, 2025, after spending 216 days in ICE custody at the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. Before his death, he had filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release and later sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, both of which the court denied. His habeas case was dismissed as moot following his death. CAIR Northern Ohio and CAIR Philadelphia issued a statement offering condolences to his family and reaffirming their commitment to advocating for humane treatment in immigration detention. His death was later cited among cases of at least 65 religious leaders detained by immigration authorities since January 2025.

Francisco Benjamin Sanchez Obregon was initially apprehended at the border on September 22, 2022, then paroled the next day until November 2022. Over three years later, he was arrested on February 4, 2026, and detained pending removal proceedings. The court found he had a protected liberty interest from his initial parole and ordered his immediate release due to lack of due process.

Cristian, a Colombian immigrant with an asylum claim, was detained by ICE agents on February 4 while heading to a new job in St. Paul. He was transferred to detention centers in Texas and Louisiana before self-deporting to Colombia. His wife Alejandra was left as the sole provider for their two young sons and is now trying to save money for plane tickets to return to Colombia, saying their experience made clear they are not welcomed in the United States.

Dylan, a 20-year-old Venezuelan student at Ellis Prep High School in the Bronx, was detained by ICE on May 21, 2025, immediately after appearing at federal immigration court in Lower Manhattan for an asylum hearing. He entered the United States legally under Biden-era policies and has no criminal record. His attorney stated he was entitled to full legal protections to pursue asylum relief. Dylan's mother reported he has been suffering from untreated stomach problems and has been moved to at least four different detention centers within five to six days. The Department of Homeland Security placed him under expedited removal proceedings.

Melissa Tran, a Vietnamese refugee who legally entered the U.S. in 1993 and built a life in Maryland as a mother and former health care worker, was detained by ICE for over five months following a routine immigration check-in in Baltimore tied to a non-violent theft conviction from her teenage years in 2001. A federal judge ordered her release in October 2025, finding continued detention unnecessary, but she still faced a 2003 removal order. Though Vietnam had previously refused to accept her for two decades, the country agreed to take her back, and she was deported in November 2025. During the deportation process, she was shackled at her wrists, waist, and ankles for roughly 80 hours total, including over 10 hours before her flight with no food or water, operated by Omni Air International. She reported her wrists became dented and red from the restraints, that she soiled herself during the journey, and described feeling 'less than an animal,' while recalling poor hygiene conditions during her detention.

Julien Pereira, a 26-year-old French tennis coach, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol and ICE after being denied entry to Canada while awaiting work visa paperwork. He spent a month in an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he experienced shackling, inadequate food and water, and harsh conditions before being released on bail and ordered to leave the U.S. within 15 days.

Ivan Garcia, a father and North Venice Little League community member, was detained by ICE while attending a scheduled immigration appointment related to his citizenship case. He was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover legal fees and living expenses, with community support from the local youth sports league.

Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were following their vehicles in south Minneapolis on Tuesday. At least one person wearing anti-ICE clothing was handcuffed face-down on the ground.

Federal immigration agents detained Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, Martin Zambrano Diaz, and Alexandro Rivera Magana in Greenport on Wednesday morning, while a fourth man fled on foot during a separate operation on Ludlum Place. According to community advocates, the three detained men have lived in the area for over 20 years with no criminal backgrounds. The operations prompted school absences throughout the district as families responded to ICE presence in the community.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 206 undocumented immigrants in Maine during a multiday operation in January 2026. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, only 6% of those arrested had criminal convictions, while 80% had neither criminal charges nor convictions. Maine Public is tracking several cases using interviews, court records, and reporting from other media outlets. Since the operation, 37 of those arrested have been deported or voluntarily left the country.

A Natalia high school junior attended what was supposed to be a routine U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in appointment in San Antonio to update his photograph. The appointment resulted in his arrest and detainment, leaving a toddler and stepfather behind for months.

Ta Eh Doh Lah, a Burmese refugee mother of four lawfully admitted to the U.S. in November 2024, was arrested by ICE agents at her St. Paul apartment on January 10, 2026, while breastfeeding her five-month-old baby. The arrest occurred one day after USCIS announced Operation PARRIS to re-examine refugee cases. She was immediately transferred to Texas despite having a pending adjustment of status application and no criminal record. Ta Eh Doh Lah has congenital heart disease requiring expert medical care. A federal magistrate judge found her detention was not authorized under federal law and recommended her release. The federal court ordered her immediate transfer back to Minnesota and release, and blocked Operation PARRIS across Minnesota, preventing the arrest or detention of refugees solely because they are awaiting status adjustment.

A woman reported that ICE agents attempted to kidnap her twin brother, a Black American man, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. According to the account, agents rammed into his pickup truck and chased him without apparent reason. The family is seeking public awareness of the incident.

Federal immigration agents detained an employee at NATIFS, an Indigenous-focused nonprofit restaurant in Minneapolis owned by chef Sean Sherman, outside the restaurant on February 2, 2026. Agents blocked a vehicle carrying staff members, pulled the employee from the car at gunpoint, and stated they were checking paperwork. The employee was transferred to Texas overnight without access to needed medication and without the family being notified in advance. Chef Sherman stated the employee had legal documentation and characterized the armed enforcement as inappropriate.

Guillermo Aguilar, a DACA beneficiary and business owner who lived in the United States for nearly 40 years, was arrested on February 3, 2026, while driving to work in North Carolina and deported to Mexico two months later. His wife was pregnant at the time of his arrest and experienced health complications following the incident. His infant son, Guillermo, was born prematurely on May 11, 2026, with six months and two weeks of gestation and remains hospitalized. Aguilar says he has been denied access to the assets and property he built in the U.S. and cannot be with his family during this critical time.

Ismael Avalos, owner of Viper Auto Body in West Valley City, and his employee Wilmer Menjivar were detained by CBP agents during a forced entry on January 31, 2026. Menjivar, a Salvadoran national with no criminal record, believed he was being followed by unmarked vehicles as he arrived at work, ran into the shop, and locked the door behind him. Agents then broke through the locked glass door, entered the business, and detained both men. Menjivar's wife, Lilly, confronted agents and asked for a warrant; an agent responded that one was not needed. An immigration attorney stated the circumstances raise serious Fourth Amendment concerns, as agents lacked a judicial warrant and no legal exceptions for warrantless entry appeared to apply. Menjivar's family believes the men were profiled based on appearance and ethnicity. Community activists later protested the arrests.