HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

IncidentsPolicy & Analysis
Loading map...
Show map
3777 incidents with known locations
Find your district
⚐ Highlighted incident #9169 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

27-year-old Somali woman who survived forced marriage and repeated beatings expelled to Panama without asylum hearing

Feb 2025San Diego, CASomalia

Stephanie, a 32-year-old woman from the Anglophone minority in Cameroon, crossed the U.S. border to seek asylum after police attacked her village in 2023, entered her house and raped her, shot her father in the leg leading to his death, and beat and detained her brother for six days. Her village was attacked again in 2024 and her house was burned down. She could not run because she was 29 weeks pregnant, and her aunt helping her was shot in the back. She lost her baby. She had an arrest warrant for allegedly aiding a separatist militia. During 19 days of detention in San Diego, she was never allowed to speak to her family, a lawyer, or an asylum officer. Male officers conducted body searches, guards banged on doors at night, and officers mocked her, saying 'You smell.' She was shackled and put on a military plane to Panama without being told the destination. Panamanian officials initially told her asylum was not an option. She was granted a 10-minute asylum interview on February 25, but ONPAR issued an inadmissibility resolution the next day, saying her claim was 'manifestly unfounded' and of a 'socio-economic nature.' When she tried to present evidence from her phone — photos of her burned house, documentation of her pregnancy, and her arrest warrant — officials refused to look at it. The officer told her any appeal would be rejected.

Father of deployed Navy sailor detained by Border Patrol in Key West

Aug 24, 2026Key West, FLNicaragua

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, a Nicaraguan handyman who has lived in the U.S. for about 19-20 years and holds a work permit, was detained by Border Patrol agents in Key West, Florida while driving his car to a mechanic. His son, Joshua Aviles, was in his ninth month of deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, working 12-hour shifts including combat operations. Family members said Aviles has a Social Security card, driver's license, and no known criminal history. His wife, Argelia Aviles, described him as devoted to his family, saying "He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father." DHS confirmed the arrest, stating Aviles entered the country illegally and will remain in ICE custody while the government seeks his deportation. His case is among at least dozens identified by the AP of parents and spouses of active-duty troops detained under the administration's immigration crackdown.

Detained woman describes medical neglect, freezing punishment room in ICE custody

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 24, 2026

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.

Man deported after 30 years in U.S., leaves wife and sons behind

Aug 23, 2026TXMexico

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.

Oaxacan father deported after years of remittances funded children's schooling

Aug 23, 2026TXMexico

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.

Mexican man deported after years working to repay $16,000 debt

Aug 23, 2026TXMexico

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.

Venezuelan singer John Theis detained by ICE agents

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 23, 2026Venezuela

John Theis, a Venezuelan singer and rapper, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. News of his arrest was confirmed and shared on social media by music industry colleagues, including producer and artist Junior Caldera and singer ADSO. Colleagues launched a campaign using the hashtag #FreeJohnTheis calling for his release.

Rideshare driver detained at Camp Pendleton gate despite valid work permit

Aug 23, 2026Oceanside, CA

Assim Alkhawaja, a 53-year-old Middle Eastern immigrant who moved to Oceanside about two years ago to pursue graduate studies in human rights, was detained by ICE while dropping off passengers at a Camp Pendleton gate. He holds work authorization valid until 2030 amid a pending asylum case and has no criminal history. His sister Arwa, a U.S. citizen, said he provided his driver's license and work permit at the gate before being told to pull over and detained, then transported to Otay Mesa Detention Center, where he spent about eight days. An immigration judge found he posed no danger to the community and was not a flight risk, ordering his release on $10,000 bond; he now wears a GPS monitor while his case continues. Before his detention, Alkhawaja had sold his businesses in the Middle East to open Sands Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop nearly ready to open. Attorneys say he is among dozens of rideshare and delivery drivers for companies including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, GrubHub and Roadie detained at the base's gates under a pilot program launched in 2025 in which military police call ICE on non-citizen drivers.

Guatemalan man restrained by ICE agents inside New York laundromat

Aug 22, 2026NYGuatemala

Silvano (also reported as Silvino) López Domingo, a Guatemalan man, was detained and physically restrained by ICE agents while waiting to pick up his laundry at a laundromat in New York state. Neighbors who filmed the arrest said four agents forcibly took him away and threatened him with an electric shock. His wife, Milvia Chávez, currently in Guatemala with their 5-month-old daughter, said he has no criminal record and is asking for help to secure his release. Witnesses who saw the arrest expressed concern about the increase in immigration enforcement operations in the state.

Man detained by ICE agents outside Yakima grocery store

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 22, 2026Yakima, WA

Federal immigration agents were seen detaining a man in the parking lot of a Grocery Outlet on South First Street in Yakima, Washington. Witnesses recorded video of the encounter as it unfolded in broad daylight. The man's identity and immigration status have not been confirmed.

Mexican father arrested by ICE during morning walk in Redondo Beach

Aug 22, 2026Redondo Beach, CAMexico

Ernesto Alejandro Perez-Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE agents while on his morning walk along the Redondo Beach esplanade. He initially denied his identity but admitted the truth after agents showed him a previous mugshot. Perez-Garcia has a lengthy arrest history dating to 2003 and had previously been deported, later re-entering the U.S. multiple times; he said his children live in the United States and he does not know what will happen next. Redondo Beach police had twice declined to honor ICE detainer requests for him, in 2020 and 2026.

Ecuadorian mother and daughter detained by ICE in Florida hospital ER after crash

Aug 22, 2026Orlando, FLEcuador

Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her 19-year-old daughter Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, both Ecuadorian nationals, were handcuffed and taken into ICE custody while being treated at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital's emergency room. The pair had been in a car accident when another vehicle crossed into their lane and caused their car to roll over; Grace suffered neck injuries requiring a cervical collar, and Giulianna experienced a seizure and nervous breakdown after witnessing her mother's arrest. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies, who participate in the federal 287(g) program, questioned the women at the hospital before ICE detained them, handcuffing Giulianna while she was still in her hospital gown and escorting both women out in front of other patients and staff. Authorities said the women had overstayed expired visas, but family members, including Grace's sister Gia Calero, said Grace had a pending asylum application and a valid work permit while Giulianna held a visa valid through 2030. Video of the arrest circulated widely, drawing reaction from the Ecuadorian community and immigrant rights organizations, and neither woman had appeared before an immigration judge as of the reporting.

Neighbor intervenes to stop ICE from detaining mother of three

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 21, 2026Los Angeles, CAMexico

A Mexican mother of three said ICE agents attempted to detain her in Los Angeles during an enforcement operation in a residential neighborhood. A neighbor intervened, which prevented the arrest from happening. The woman said she now fears being deported.

161 Haitians deported to Cap-Haïtien after TPS protections end

Aug 21, 2026Haiti

More than 160 people were deported from the U.S. to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, on a flight Thursday, the first such deportation since the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. The group included TPS holders who had lived and worked legally in the U.S. since 2010, as well as people of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic who are not recognized as citizens there. One deportee, Jean Diane Louis, told reporters he left Haiti at age 5, that his family lives in New York City, and that ICE detained him without questioning before sending him back. Upon arrival, Haitian immigration officials offered deportees a maximum of $65 along with food and water, and many said they had nowhere to go and no family remaining in Haiti.

Colombian father detained after ICE ambushes his car in Queens

Aug 21, 2026College Point, NYColombia

Andrés, a Colombian immigrant living in College Point, Queens, was driving his wife and 6-year-old daughter home from getting food in late June when masked ICE agents in unmarked cars boxed in his vehicle and ordered him out. Agents used a vehicle registration lookup on his New Jersey plates to confirm his identity and immigration status before arresting him, even though he had no criminal history, a valid work permit, and an upcoming immigration court date. He spent about three weeks at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn before a federal judge ordered his release following a habeas corpus lawsuit. Since his release, his daughter has continued to break down in tears, and he now carries copies of his release papers in case he is stopped again.

Haitian pastor and second man detained by ICE at Springfield gas station

Aug 21, 2026Springfield, OHHaiti

Gilbert Joubert Adrien, a 41-year-old Haitian pastor who has lived in Springfield, Ohio for five years with his wife and two children, was detained by ICE agents along with Victor Yonel, 50, at a gas station on South Limestone Street on Aug. 20. Yonel's wife and another woman were in the car but were not detained. Both men are held at the Butler County Jail. Advocates said they had no indication of why the men were detained and were unaware of any deportation orders against either, noting Yonel has a pending case in Cleveland Immigration Court with no scheduled hearings, while no case was found for Adrien. Vilés Dorsainvil of the Haitian Support Center, who regularly works with Adrien distributing items to the community, said Adrien is a well-respected leader whose congregation would be left without a leader if he is deported. A local pastor said Adrien 'served Christ and his congregation faithfully,' and faith group G92 called his detention especially devastating. Advocates said ICE's broader presence in Springfield has caused fear among Haitian residents, with businesses closing and people afraid to leave their homes.

Venezuelan man deported after Missouri traffic stop, family now struggling

Aug 21, 2026Christian County, MOVenezuela

Angel Acosta Ramirez, 43, a former mechanical engineer from Venezuela who later worked as an Uber driver in Branson, was pulled over by the Christian County Sheriff's Office for allegedly speeding near Highlandville in January 2026. Despite holding a valid work visa, he was arrested and jailed on an immigration hold, spending six weeks in the Greene County Jail before being deported. He had fled Venezuela in 2022 with his wife, Maria Fernanda Arrioja Romero, their infant son Santiago, and his parents, believing he had a right to remain in the U.S. Acosta Ramirez said the hardest part of his detention was being separated from his wife and not knowing what would happen to their young son. His wife was later held for months in the same Greene County Jail, which contracts with ICE to detain hundreds of immigrants daily. Acosta Ramirez said life since his deportation has been 'really hard,' with his family now struggling to earn enough money to survive.

Colombian woman detained nine months by ICE, family cites health concerns

Aug 21, 2026Basile, LAColombia

Wendy Vanessa Triviño Carrillo, a Colombian woman from Cúcuta, has been detained for more than nine months at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. Her father, Luis Eduardo, says she has experienced health problems while in custody and has appealed to the Colombian government and its Foreign Ministry for consular assistance. "We are not asking them to bypass the law. We are asking someone to look at my daughter's case, that someone listen to us," he said. The family is seeking more information about her immigration case, detention conditions, and medical care, and says that if she must return to Colombia they want it handled through proper procedures.

Venezuelan man beaten, detained by ICE agents while driving to work in Gainesville

Aug 21, 2026Gainesville, GAVenezuela

Mikel Junior Sanchez Ortiz, a 24-year-old Venezuelan man, was beaten and taken into custody early on August 19 while driving to work with his girlfriend, Haklin Olivares, 22, on Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville, Georgia. Olivares said several men in a truck stopped them, demanded their licenses, forced open the car doors, and struck Sanchez Ortiz until he bled before pulling him out; she was released after the men said her immigration status was in order but his was not. Sanchez Ortiz later told her by phone that his nose and mouth were injured internally, with a cut on his forehead and marks on his neck from being grabbed. Olivares said the men confiscated her phone and demanded she delete photos of the incident, and said she is uncertain whether they were ICE agents or bounty hunters. The couple has a pending asylum case with a court date scheduled for 2027, hold valid work permits and driver's licenses, and say they have no criminal record. Sanchez Ortiz is being held at Stewart Detention Center in southwest Georgia, and Olivares started a GoFundMe seeking $1,600 to support him.

Venezuelan father deported to Liberia despite pending habeas case, missed baby's birth

Aug 21, 2026TXVenezuela

Carlos Tellez Sánchez, a 35-year-old Venezuelan man living in Texas, was detained by ICE in December 2025 after attending a routine immigration check-in appointment. He had been granted a Withholding of Removal order in 2021 and had an active habeas corpus petition pending before a federal court in South Texas, but after more than seven months in custody he was deported to Liberia. His third child was born while he was detained, and he has only been able to see the baby through video calls. Family members describe him as the family's main provider with no criminal record and call the deportation arbitrary. He was placed on a flight to Liberia with 19 other deportees, some of whom were restrained after resisting the transfer, and is now staying at a hotel there while deciding whether to seek asylum or travel elsewhere.

Man deported to Mexico after 30 years in the US finds refuge in 'Little LA'

Aug 21, 2026Los Angeles, CAMexico

Christopher Gil Ortíz, who had lived in the U.S. since childhood, was stopped by ICE agents on his way to work in Los Angeles and detained before being deported to Mexico, leaving behind his wife and two children. He was dropped in Tulum, had his belongings stolen in Cancún, and eventually settled in Mexico City's Tabacalera neighborhood, known as 'Little LA' for its community of returnees. He found support from New Comienzos, an organization helping deportees reintegrate into Mexican society amid an expected surge in deportations under the Trump administration.

Guatemalan man tackled and detained by ICE while eating outside NY home

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 21, 2026New Rochelle, NYGuatemala

Jonatan López, a man from Guatemala, was eating chips and drinking a soda on the steps outside a residential building in New Rochelle, New York, when ICE agents approached and began questioning him. Witness Brenda Figueroa, who recorded part of the encounter, described the detention as violent and said one agent who arrived later acted with particular aggression. Another witness said agents arrived in three unmarked vehicles, took a bystander's phone during the incident, and did not present a warrant despite repeated requests to do so.

Oceanside man killed in Tijuana months after ICE deportation

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 21, 2026Oceanside, CAMexico

An Oceanside, California man originally from Mexico was shot and killed during a robbery in Tijuana, according to his family. The killing occurred seven months after he was detained and deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Cuban man hospitalized after being pushed off deportation plane in Equatorial Guinea

Aug 20, 2026Lehigh Acres, FLCuba

Leonardo Sánchez Fernández, a 49-year-old Cuban man from San Miguel del Padrón who had lived in Lehigh Acres, Florida, was deported by ICE and sent to Equatorial Guinea as part of a third-country deportation agreement, despite having valid U.S. legal residency until 2030. According to his mother, Caridad, guards pushed him as he disembarked the plane, causing him to fall and worsening a preexisting medical condition from a stomach surgery and skin graft. He is currently hospitalized and receiving IV fluids without a passport, documents, or consular assistance, after being held in a hotel with other deportees who say they were warned guards would shoot anyone approaching the facility's fence. He had been arrested by ICE six months earlier over an unspecified offense that the family says cost him his residency.

Video shows ICE agents forcing women to ground during Fort Myers, Florida stop

Aug 20, 2026Fort Myers, FL

According to a viral social media post, ICE agents in the Pine Manor neighborhood of Fort Myers, Florida, grabbed several women, forced them onto pavement and against parked cars, and continued restraining them while a child stood nearby. The post claims agents threatened to shoot the women during the confrontation. The claims have not been independently verified by news sources.

Cuban deported by ICE to Liberia ends up stranded in Equatorial Guinea

Aug 20, 2026LACuba

Carlos Rodríguez López, a Cuban national held in ICE detention for 16 months, was deported on a flight to Liberia under a new U.S.-Liberia removal agreement, but upon arrival authorities refused to accept him and instead transported him and other Cubans to a hotel in Equatorial Guinea without documents or a passport. His wife, Igrayne Ribot Hernández, a U.S. citizen who has a nine-year-old daughter and runs a family business, said a habeas corpus petition filed in November 2025 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana remains unresolved. Ribot said her husband, who has a prior criminal record for which he served time, is being held against his will in a hotel he cannot leave, alongside three other Cubans, one of whom recently had stomach surgery and has an exposed wound.

Five migrants resist Liberia deportation, forced off plane in Equatorial Guinea

Aug 20, 2026

Five people the U.S. attempted to deport to Liberia this week refused to leave the plane upon landing and were instead flown to Equatorial Guinea, according to sources familiar with the incident. The group included three Cuban men, one Brazilian man, and one Cameroonian woman, who were told they would be returned to the U.S. but were instead forced to disembark in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. They are now being held with more than 30 other migrants previously sent there under a similar third-country deportation deal, which human rights groups have criticized for poor conditions and lack of legal aid.

ICE detains three men in Syracuse stop, one tasered while resisting

Aug 20, 2026Syracuse, NY

Federal immigration agents detained three men in a white Jeep in the Westcott neighborhood of Syracuse, stopping the vehicle in the 400 block of Westcott Street. Witnesses said two of the men complied with ICE agents, but the driver tried to flee and was tasered several times before being tackled by ICE agents. Syracuse police officers, who initially stopped to assist thinking it was a local warrant execution, backed off once they realized it was an ICE operation and later only wrote a crash report at ICE's request. The men, who have not been identified, were taken to ICE's Central New York headquarters in Mattydale; the incident is one of more than 80 similar detentions reported in Onondaga County in the first two-and-a-half months of the year.

Woman detained by ICE while baby on oxygen sat in back seat

Aug 20, 2026Santa Fe, NM

A woman, identified by her daughter-in-law Yajaira Gutierrez as her mother-in-law, was arrested by ICE agents who surrounded her car in Santa Fe while a baby on oxygen was in the back seat. Family members said agents told them they would break the car's windows regardless of what they did and would take her anyway. Gutierrez said the family could only watch as their relative was taken away, adding that "everyone has rights, but apparently in this country they don't."

5-year-old boy detained with father en route to soccer game, held at Dilley facility

Aug 20, 2026Austin, TXMexico

Liam Tadeo, a 5-year-old just days from starting kindergarten, was detained alongside his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, after federal agents stopped their vehicle in Austin as the two were on their way to a soccer game. They were taken to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where DHS said they remain together pending Martinez Nieto's removal. Video captured Liam crying as officers arrested his father. His aunt described him in a GoFundMe post as 'a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy,' while his mother said the family was devastated. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar publicized the case, calling for Liam's immediate release and the closure of the Dilley facility. Immigration attorney Renata Castro said Liam will likely remain at Dilley for weeks with an uncertain future, and that DHS has made it difficult for attorneys to access clients. DHS said Martinez Nieto, a Mexican national, had previously been arrested and accepted voluntary departure before reentering the country.

Two Raymond's restaurant workers detained by ICE in Montclair, NJ

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 20, 2026Montclair, NJ

Two workers at Raymond's restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey were detained by ICE on a Wednesday morning while on their way to work, according to co-workers and public records. Both men are currently being held at Delaney Hall, a detention facility in Newark. ICE has not detailed the circumstances of the arrests.

Mexican man detained by ICE while walking home in New Rochelle, NY

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 20, 2026New Rochelle, NYMexico

Arcadio Zavala García, known as "Callito," was detained by ICE agents while walking home in New Rochelle, New York. A neighbor, Marisol Cuevas, recognized him as a friend of her father's and began recording as agents questioned him in English, a language he does not speak. Cuevas said Zavala, originally from Veracruz, Mexico, was known for being respectful and, as far as she knew, had no criminal record.

Venezuelan man says he was beaten by alleged bounty hunters in Georgia

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 20, 2026GAVenezuela

A 24-year-old Venezuelan man described suffering a broken nose, an injured mouth, and being beaten inside a vehicle during his detention in Georgia. He is now being held at the Stewart Detention Center. His girlfriend says the people who detained him were alleged bounty hunters.

Man questioned by Secret Service at home over private anti-ICE messages

Aug 20, 2026Carrollton, VA

Austin Connell, a concrete business owner who posts about politics online, was visited at his home in Carrollton, Virginia by Secret Service agents who had obtained screenshots of his private Instagram direct messages. Connell said he does not know how the agents accessed the private messages, which included anti-ICE content, and noted he had also publicly criticized ICE. "I'm for law enforcement—just not corrupt law enforcement," he said.

Pregnant Colombian asylum seeker held over 40 days at Dilley after fake lawyer scam

Aug 20, 2026

Maria Alejandra Gomez-Quiroz, a 21-year-old pregnant Colombian woman, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in June while fleeing violent guerrillas with her partner and planning to seek asylum. She was convicted of illegal entry on July 6 and has remained in ICE custody at the Dilley family detention facility in Texas for more than 40 days, now five months pregnant. Her sister, Kelly Ocampo, says the family paid more than $3,000 to someone posing as an immigration lawyer who sent a fraudulent letter on ICE letterhead falsely claiming Gomez-Quiroz's bond had been approved and she would be released. Ocampo says her sister has become 'very depressed' and has reported lower abdominal pain, while their mother is described as 'desperate.' DHS said Gomez-Quiroz remains in custody pending removal proceedings and disputed claims of inadequate medical care. She is one of at least 500 people detained at Dilley and one of four pregnant women held there, according to lawmakers.

Father with U visa detained by ICE outside Santa Fe clinic while taking child to doctor

Aug 20, 2026Santa Fe, NM

Edgar Chacon-Miranda, 45, was detained by ICE agents in the parking lot of La Familia Health/Medical Center in Santa Fe as he drove his young daughter to a medical appointment, after apparently being followed from home. Clinic staff, including chief information officer Jasmin Milz, said agents blocked his vehicle and took him into custody without entering the building, and the child was later picked up by a family member with help from community advocates. DHS labeled Chacon-Miranda a 'criminal illegal alien' with an 'extensive criminal history,' citing 2018 battery, criminal sexual penetration, and child abuse charges, but court records show those charges were dismissed after the alleged victim declined to cooperate. His attorney, Allegra Love, said he has full legal custody of his children under a New Mexico family court order and received a U visa in 2022 for cooperating with law enforcement, which expired in May while his residency application remains pending. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies criticized federal officials for citing the dismissed case without noting its outcome. U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said ICE reported eight people detained in Santa Fe that day and called leaving the child in the parking lot 'cruelty.' New Mexico House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski confirmed agents had followed the parent and child from their home.

Man arrested by ICE agents at Texas home as owner demands warrant

Instagram📦Social media only
Aug 20, 2026Brownsville, TX

ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents entered private property in Brownsville, Texas, to arrest a man, while the property owner demanded to see a judicial warrant. According to local news reports cited in the post, immigration authorities told the Brownsville Police Department they would be increasing their presence in the city.

Bangladeshi woman denied medication in ICE custody, now pushes for reform bill

Aug 20, 2026California City, CABangladesh

Masuma Khan, 64, a Bangladeshi immigrant with no criminal history who arrived in the U.S. in 1997 and has long worked at a local restaurant, was detained at the California City Detention Facility after a routine ICE check-in in October 2025. During her month in custody, she intermittently or never received medications for high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, prediabetes, and glaucoma, receiving asthma medication only two days before release and never getting eye drops; staff told her to buy medications from the commissary, which did not stock them. Since her release, Khan has suffered PTSD and ongoing health issues, and has become fearful of leaving her home. Advocates allege ICE uses intimidation tactics on detainees nearing release, including driving them to airport tarmacs to pressure self-deportation. Supporters are now urging California lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and Governor Gavin Newsom, to pass SB995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act.

Twenty deportees sent to Liberia under new third-country removal deal

Aug 20, 2026

Twenty deportees from the United States arrived in Liberia as part of a new agreement that could see up to 1,200 people sent there under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Liberia's justice minister said most deportees had committed migration-related violations and could seek asylum in Liberia. The U.S. agreed to extend visitor visas for Liberians and pledged $124 million in assistance as part of the deal, one of the largest third-country deportation arrangements pursued by the administration.

Iraqi man with dementia arrested by ICE despite court ruling barring deportation to Iraq

Aug 20, 2026Iraq

An Iraqi man showing early signs of dementia was arrested by ICE agents in his front yard after living in the United States for more than 30 years. A judge had previously ruled he would likely face persecution or torture if deported to Iraq, granting him legal protection from removal to his home country. Despite that ruling, he was taken into custody and held in Arizona ICE detention facilities. He was among a group of immigrants who remained detained even after winning protection from deportation to their home countries, according to an analysis of habeas corpus petitions.

Colombian mother separated from children at ICE check-in despite torture protection ruling

Aug 20, 2026Baltimore, MDColombia

A Colombian mother was separated from her two young children during a routine ICE check-in in Baltimore, despite a judge having ruled she would likely face torture or persecution if deported to Colombia. She was transferred to the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. An Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting analysis identified her as one of a group of immigrants ICE continued to detain in Arizona even after judges had barred their deportation to their home countries due to humanitarian protections.

Transgender asylum seeker sexually assaulted in Michigan detention, later deported

Aug 20, 2026MIVenezuela

Wilmar Quintero, a 50-year-old transgender woman from Venezuela, fled her home country after she said police officers tortured her, carved out her breast implants and left her for dead for speaking out against civil rights abuses. She sought asylum in the United States and was detained for about three months in Michigan, where she said she was sexually assaulted by another migrant and mistreated by staff. Immigration officials deported her to Venezuela in April 2025, where she went into hiding, saying she remains afraid of police there.

Transgender asylum seeker held in men's Louisiana facility, denied hormone therapy

Aug 20, 2026New York, NYVenezuela

Camila Toro de Paula, a 25-year-old transgender woman from Venezuela, has been held for nearly a year at a men's ICE detention facility in Jena, Louisiana, after being arrested during a routine immigration check-in at ICE's New York City office in August 2025. She fled Venezuela after suffering childhood abuse, including repeated rape by relatives and a homophobic stabbing attack by police, and sought asylum in the U.S. two years ago. Toro de Paula says she has been assaulted, threatened, placed in solitary confinement, denied water, and deprived of the hormone therapy she had received for years, after a policy protecting transgender detainees was eliminated in February 2025. She told The New York Times, "I'm afraid of dying here," and says she has resisted pressure to voluntarily return to Venezuela. Immigration officials cited felony assault and weapons charges as justification for her detention, though both charges were later dismissed and sealed.

Boat captain in fatal NY Harbor capsize detained by ICE

Aug 20, 2026New York, NYEl Salvador

Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, an El Salvador national, was detained by ICE after a Coast Guard investigation confirmed his unlawful presence in the United States. He had been arrested on August 9 and charged following the capsizing of a boat near the Statue of Liberty that killed 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both of Queens. Hernandez faces federal counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, as well as state reckless endangerment charges, and told authorities he entered the U.S. through Texas in 2007 after falsely claiming to be a citizen. He remains in ICE custody awaiting trial and will face removal proceedings after his criminal case concludes.

Georgia national with pending asylum case detained by ICE after truck collision in Nebraska

Aug 19, 2026North Platte, NEGeorgia

Aleks Latsabidze, a native and citizen of Georgia, entered the United States after inspection under a B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visa. He sought asylum in 2019 and later pursued employment-based permanent residence. Before his detention he worked as a commercial truck driver. In August 2026, he was involved in a serious tractor-trailer collision on Interstate 80 in North Platte, Nebraska, that resulted in the death of another driver. Law enforcement reviewed camera footage and initially told him they did not intend to charge him and planned to release him, but after learning he was not a U.S. citizen, they contacted ICE, which requested he be held for transfer to immigration custody. He was booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center the day after the collision, and he alleges no immigration warrant was presented before his detention. ICE has initiated removal proceedings against him, though he does not possess the Notice to Appear. He is challenging the lawfulness of his warrantless arrest and detention through a habeas petition, seeking immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). The court ordered Respondents to show cause within three business days and barred his removal from the United States or Nebraska pending further proceedings.

Uzbek asylum seeker detained at ICE check-in after two years in US wins habeas release

Aug 19, 2026Philadelphia, PAUzbekistan

Sanat Akramov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, entered the United States without inspection in November 2023 and was apprehended shortly after by Customs and Border Patrol, issued a Notice to Appear, and released into the country pending removal proceedings. He resided in the US for over two years and filed an asylum application in April 2024. On August 19, 2026, he was arrested at a scheduled ICE check-in and transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. He filed a habeas corpus petition the same day, arguing his mandatory detention without a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) was unlawful. The Government argued he remained an 'applicant for admission' subject to mandatory detention. The court held that § 1225 applies only to newly arriving noncitizens, not those like Akramov who have resided in the country for years, and that his detention was instead governed by § 1226(a). The court granted his habeas petition and ordered his immediate release.

Peruvian father detained at routine ICE check-in despite no flight risk, challenges re-detention

Aug 19, 2026Oakland, CAPeru

Wilder Jaime Chavez Escobar, a 40-year-old citizen of Peru, has lived in the U.S. since December 2022, residing in Oakland, California. He is married with three children ages 4, 16, and 17, whom he supports financially by sending money to Peru, and he has work authorization and is employed in construction. He is in removal proceedings and filed an asylum application in November 2023, complying with all required ICE check-ins and immigration court hearings; his only criminal history is a single 2025 wet reckless conviction with a suspended sentence. On August 19, 2026, uniformed DHS agents arrested him immediately upon arrival for his regularly scheduled check-in at the San Francisco ICE office, without identifying themselves, explaining the reason for arrest, or serving a warrant beforehand. Petitioner filed a habeas petition and TRO application arguing he is a class member under the Garro Pinchi injunction and that his re-detention violated that order and due process because DHS made no individualized finding of changed circumstances regarding flight risk or danger. The court found serious questions on the merits and ordered his immediate release, enjoined future detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing, and required return of his confiscated property.

Haitian driver detained on Sherman Avenue as neighbor is threatened by ICE agent

Aug 19, 2026Springfield, OHHaiti

A man believed to be Haitian, who neighbor Sara Vanhoose said regularly drove through her neighborhood obeying traffic laws, was pulled over and arrested outside her Sherman Avenue home by officers in three unmarked vehicles wearing ICE vests. When Vanhoose, a U.S. citizen, questioned the officers and told them the man was 'not doing anything wrong,' an ICE agent told her she would become their next target if she did not stop asking questions. Vanhoose said the man's vehicle was later towed and she was left upset that a neighbor she described as never having caused problems was taken away.

Grandmother detained by ICE while heading to infant's medical appointment in Santa Fe

Aug 19, 2026Santa Fe, NM

Adriana Ruiz, 43, was detained by ICE agents in Santa Fe while getting into a car with her daughter-in-law, Yajaira Gutierrez, on the way to a medical appointment for Gutierrez's 2-month-old baby, who was on an oxygen machine. Gutierrez said agents refused to show paperwork and gave false information about the vehicle they were seeking before Ruiz agreed to be arrested to protect her family. Gutierrez said Ruiz has health problems and that relatives have not been told where she was taken or whether she is receiving medical care.

ICE detains boat captain from El Salvador after fatal NY harbor capsizing

Aug 19, 2026New York, NYEl Salvador

ICE detained Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, the operator of a boat that capsized near the Statue of Liberty on August 8, killing a woman and her infant daughter. Hernandez-Umana, 46, faces state charges of misconduct and neglect resulting in death, and federal authorities say he is undocumented and previously lied about his citizenship status to border patrol in 2007. DHS said it plans to deport him once his criminal case concludes.

Man detained after Oklahoma trooper stop under immigration deputization program

Aug 19, 2026

Daniel Roque Olivares was driving to work on U.S. Highway 81 in Oklahoma when a state trooper pulled him over and detained him for violating federal immigration laws. The stop is part of a broader crackdown enabled by deputizing Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers as immigration agents, a program pushed by Lance Schroyer, Trump's nominee to lead ICE. Oklahoma's enforcement has been described as harsher on undocumented immigrants than almost any other state.

Page 1 of 89 (4436 results)More →