Human Impact Project

A UC Berkeley analysis of ICE data found that arrests of immigrants without criminal convictions increased 770% during the first year of Trump's second term, with street arrests surging over 1,000%. The report, based on Freedom of Information Act data through March 10, 2026, shows ICE arrests more than quadrupled overall across the country. In New York City specifically, ICE arrested over 9,600 people since the start of the Trump administration, with only about one in five having criminal convictions. Nearly 63% of NYC arrests involved people with only immigration violations and no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, while less than 7% involved individuals with Level 1 threat designations for aggravated felonies or multiple felony convictions.

The Trump administration launched "Operation Catch of the Day," an ICE enforcement operation in Maine targeting individuals the administration characterizes as "criminal illegal aliens." ICE agents identified nearly 1,400 individuals for potential detention in Portland, prompting criticism from local officials and Democratic state leaders who questioned the tactics and raised concerns about impacts on Maine's Somali American community.

A federal inspection of Camp East Montana, the largest immigration detention facility in the United States located near El Paso, Texas, found 49 violations of national detention standards. The violations included deficiencies in use of force and restraints, security, medical care, and other areas, with inspectors finding that detainees were potentially exposed to excessive force, disease, and unsafe conditions. The facility, which opened in August 2025 and is operated under contract, has also experienced at least three detainee deaths since opening.

ICE internal data obtained by Reuters shows that the Transportation Security Administration provided information on 31,000 travelers to ICE, resulting in over 800 arrests between the start of Trump's presidency through February 2026. The data reveals that TSA's Secure Flight Program, originally designed for counterterrorism, has been used to identify individuals for immigration enforcement at airports.

Since Trump's return to power, thousands of foreign nationals—primarily Cubans, Haitians, and Venezuelans—have been deported by the United States to Mexico under an undisclosed agreement. Deportees are left stranded in Mexican cities with no official assistance, facing bureaucratic obstacles in obtaining asylum status, work permits, identification, and basic necessities. The practice, known as third-country deportation, has cost over $40 million and left migrants in a state of legal limbo with limited access to employment, housing, or financial services.

According to Department of Homeland Security data analyzed by Gothamist, ICE's New York City field office arrested three times as many people in early 2026 compared to early 2025, but fewer arrests resulted in deportation. The data shows a 16% deportation rate in 2026 compared to 74% in 2025, and average detention periods have decreased from 48 days to 8 days. Immigration law experts attribute the pattern to an "arrest first, ask questions later" enforcement approach.

ICE data reveals that the Transportation Security Administration provided information on over 31,000 travelers, leading to more than 800 arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the start of Trump's presidency through February 2026. The TSA's Secure Flight Program, originally designed for counterterrorism, has been used to identify individuals for immigration enforcement at airports.

Carmen F., an immigrant from South America, called police on her abusive husband and he was deported. She applied for a U visa, which provides crime victims a pathway to permanent residency if they cooperate with law enforcement. However, with a backlog causing wait times exceeding 15 years, the Trump administration has been deporting U visa applicants contrary to longstanding ICE policy. Carmen was detained and deported back to her home country with her young son, where her abusive ex-husband was waiting at the airport.

Hancock County jail in Mississippi has become a major detention facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Trump's administration. The jail holds immigrants arrested by federal agents, with daily populations increasing from 2-5 detainees before Trump took office to 5-25 per day currently. The county has earned over $230,000 since October 2025 under its contract with ICE and DHS.

Pennsylvania counties billed the federal government over $21 million in 2024 and 2025 to detain immigrants in local jails through agreements with ICE. Five county jails—Clinton, Erie, Franklin, Pike, and Cambria—participate in detention agreements that allow them to hold immigrants for months while collecting federal reimbursement. The arrangements are receiving renewed attention amid the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.

Under the second Trump administration, immigration bond amounts have dramatically increased, with judges setting bonds as high as $80,000 compared to median amounts of $7,000 in 2023. Families desperate to free detained relatives are selling homes, vehicles, and belongings to raise bond money, while nonprofit bail funds report being overwhelmed with requests and running out of resources. The article follows one woman whose husband was granted bond but faced a $25,000 requirement to secure his release.

During President Trump's first year in office, 4,750 people without legal status were arrested by federal immigration authorities in Colorado, reflecting a near-quadrupling of the prior year's arrest rate. The data shows 38% of those arrested had no criminal history, compared to 17.7% in the prior year under President Biden, contradicting federal officials' claims of targeting the "worst of the worst." Of those arrested, 78% have already been deported. ICE's Denver field office more than doubled its deportation officers to roughly 200 and expanded detention capacity at the Aurora facility to over 1,500 detainees.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made nearly 20,000 arrests in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region from the beginning of Trump's second administration through March 10, 2026. According to federal data analysis, nearly 60 percent of those arrested had no prior criminal record.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 1,400 people in the Columbus area in 2025, a five-fold increase from 2024. Data analysis shows that less than 7% of those arrested during Operation Buckeye in December 2025 had criminal convictions, contradicting ICE's claims of targeting the 'worst of the worst' criminals.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state is co-leading a multistate coalition filing amicus briefs in federal cases challenging a Trump administration policy that bars many undocumented immigrants from requesting bond hearings. The policy requires detained noncitizens who entered without inspection to remain in custody without the opportunity for release determinations, contributing to record detention levels and worsening conditions in immigration detention facilities.

The Trump administration's no-bond detention policy for undocumented immigrants has prompted a surge of legal challenges in New Mexico federal courts. Since July 2025, over 800 habeas corpus petitions have been filed in New Mexico, with more than 34,590 filed nationwide challenging the policy that mandates detention for all noncitizens without authorization pending removal proceedings. To handle the unprecedented volume, criminal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico have been reassigned to defend the detention policy, a task typically handled by civil division attorneys. Federal judges report a dramatic increase in petition volume compared to previous years, with roughly a dozen filed from 2020-2024 versus over 400 from January through February 2026. The 10th Circuit has yet to rule on whether the detention practice violates due process rights.

Since the Trump administration took office, ICE has increased enforcement operations and deportations. This escalation has led to American citizens and lawful permanent residents becoming entangled in ICE's surveillance and tracking activities. The story examines the growing trend of U.S. citizens caught up in ICE's operations during enforcement activities such as Operation Metro Surge.

ICE appears to be shifting from aggressive street enforcement operations in Minnesota to a quieter approach relying more heavily on local law enforcement cooperation. The change comes after a winter surge of enforcement activity in the state, and reflects a broader pattern where some sheriffs, even in cooperative jurisdictions, are expressing concerns about pursuing immigrants without criminal records.

Yelitza Perez, a 29-year-old Venezuelan mother of two, became stranded at Miami International Airport when an airline could not verify her salvoconducto (safe pass) travel documentation. She was attempting to return to Venezuela with her children after her husband's deportation. Faith-based nonprofits have provided her family with shelter, food, and other essentials for over three weeks while she waits for her document to be verified.

ICE is shifting from aggressive street-level enforcement to a less visible approach that relies heavily on local law enforcement partnerships through the 287(g) program. The shift follows the Minnesota ICE surge in which federal officers killed two U.S. citizens and used aggressive tactics that were widely criticized. The program has expanded exponentially, with over 1,600 agreements now in place across 39 states, allowing local police to enforce immigration law during routine traffic stops and other interactions.

At least 14 immigrants died in ICE custody between January and late March 2026, continuing a trend of rising mortality in detention facilities. Deaths included Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a Mexican national found unresponsive at Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Los Angeles on March 25; Royer Perez Jimenez, who died by presumed suicide at a Florida detention center on March 16; and Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, an Afghan asylum seeker who died less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas on March 14. The deaths occurred as ICE held over 68,000 immigrants—among the highest numbers ever recorded—amid overcrowding and disease outbreaks at facilities during the Trump administration's expanded mass deportation campaign. The 2026 deaths followed 31 ICE custody deaths in 2025, marking a two-decade high.

Federal law enforcement personnel were stationed outside graduation events at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on April 3, 2026. Officials stated the presence was for security and infrastructure protection, while ICE denied reports that arrests would occur during the events. The deployment raised concerns among undocumented family members of graduates attending the ceremony.

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville has placed dozens of people in solitary confinement each month since June 2025, with numbers tripling when the Trump administration's mass deportation effort increased. Data shows Adelanto ranks among the top 10 U.S. ICE facilities by percentage of detainees in segregation, and the overall detainee population at the facility has tripled since the previous fiscal year.

Data obtained by the Deportation Data Project shows that approximately 41 percent of migrants arrested by ICE between January 24 and March 10 had no criminal records, contradicting Trump administration claims of focusing enforcement on criminals and public safety threats. The arrests followed the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota and the administration's stated shift toward a 'softer touch' in immigration enforcement.

A federal court in Nevada ruled that a Trump administration policy requiring ICE to detain everyone facing deportation violates federal law and causes irreparable harm. U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II's decision overturned the mandatory detention requirements that had barred immigrants from requesting bond hearings, regardless of their length of residence in the country or criminal history. The ruling allows hundreds of people, potentially upward of 60 per week in Nevada, to seek release on bond while their deportation cases proceed. The decision marked the first time a class-action lawsuit in Nevada overturned a Department of Homeland Security policy.

Federal agents arrested approximately 3,400 people during an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota over the winter. According to data analyzed by APM Reports and MPR News, nearly 1,700 of those arrested—about half—have already been deported, reflecting a rapid pace of deportations by the federal government.

ICE detention deaths are occurring at a record pace, with three deaths at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas since October 2025. ICE inspectors found 49 violations at the facility in February, including inadequate medical care and failure to document suicide prevention checks. The facility, operated by Acquisition Logistics LLC, has faced complaints about poor living conditions, inadequate food, and staff misconduct. This analysis examines the scope of harm caused by ICE detention beyond official in-custody death counts. The author presents a framework identifying three groups affected by detention: those who die in custody (14 in 2026 as of the article date), those who experience near-death medical emergencies but survive, and those who die after release from detention. The article cites research showing 95% of ICE deaths between 2017-2021 were preventable and that 100% of 1,300 detainees surveyed by clinicians experienced adverse health conditions related to detention. California House members Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs conducted an oversight visit to the Otay Mesa ICE detention center in San Diego, which operates as a for-profit facility run by CoreCivic. The facility has faced allegations of overcrowding, poor conditions, sexual assaults, and medical care deficiencies. Levin stated he plans to conduct more unannounced visits following a federal court ruling that struck down a Trump administration policy requiring members of Congress to announce oversight visits seven days in advance.

Texas Republicans and Trump administration officials are attempting to deny free public education to undocumented immigrant children, reversing a 50+ year precedent established by the Supreme Court's 1982 ruling. The state previously withdrew in-state tuition access for undocumented students in 2025 after a Trump administration lawsuit settlement. White House adviser Stephen Miller has been pushing Texas lawmakers to lead on restricting educational access for undocumented residents.

Advocacy groups RAICES and Human Rights First released a joint report calling for the closure of the Dilley Immigrant Processing Center, a migrant family detention facility near San Antonio. Based on interviews with 50 families held at the site, the report documents violations of due process and inhumane conditions. Although the facility's population dropped from 1,100 to approximately 100 between January and late March, advocates warned that federal authorities show no signs of ending family detention policies and are planning to open additional family detention facilities.

An investigation by the Santa Barbara News-Press found that ICE arrested at least 99 people at Santa Barbara County jails in 2025, compared to the Sheriff's Office's official report of 12 transfers. Many arrests occurred in jail lobbies and parking lots outside official "sally port" transfer procedures, and at least 27 people arrested had no criminal convictions listed in ICE records, potentially violating California's SB 54 sanctuary law which restricts transfers to those with serious felony or misdemeanor convictions.

Federal records requests show ICE arrests in the Los Angeles area fell sharply in 2026 after surging to 14,302 arrests in 2025 during President Trump's first year in office. So far in 2026, ICE has arrested over 2,612 people in the LA area, with arrests dropping from 1,500 in January to 809 in February following pressure on ICE after deaths of protesters in Minneapolis.

Data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request reveals that ICE arrested more than 3,700 immigrants in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge. The operation peaked in early January with over 100 arrests per day but declined significantly by late January. The data shows arrests were concentrated among people from Ecuador, Mexico, and other Latin American countries, with less than 3% of detainees being Somali despite the operation's initial stated focus. ICE made 14,458 arrests in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025, more than triple the 4,684 arrests made in 2024. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, approximately 45% of those arrested had criminal convictions, around 15% had pending criminal charges, and about 39% had no criminal charges or convictions. ICE's Seattle Field Office Fugitive Operations Team arrested and deported a man from El Salvador who had prior criminal convictions and unlawfully reentered the United States after a previous deportation. The man had a criminal history including patronizing a prostitute, resisting arrest, reckless driving, and an outstanding DUI warrant. More than 3,700 immigrants were arrested by ICE in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge according to agency data obtained by the Deportation Data Project. The data reveals that over 60% of those arrested had no criminal records, and less than 25% had any criminal convictions. The operation peaked in early January with over 100 arrests per day, with the most common country of origin being Ecuador.

Operation Midway Blitz was a federal immigration enforcement surge in the Chicago area beginning in September 2025. The operation resulted in approximately 3,800 detentions and 2,500 deportations over several months, with 760 apprehensions in September, 2,074 in October, and 811 in November, continuing into 2026. The majority of those detained had no criminal records. A Chicago Tribune review and a federal judge's 233-page opinion documented constitutional violations and safety risks, finding that immigration agents routinely broke established urban policing protocols through improper vehicle positioning, gun handling, tear gas use, and confrontational approaches. Experts including former police leaders criticized these tactics for escalating situations unnecessarily, and body camera footage contradicted official use-of-force reports. The operation sparked protests and resulted in court orders limiting agents' unconstitutional actions.

ICE made 14,458 arrests in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025, more than triple the 4,684 arrests made in 2024. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, about 45% of those arrested had criminal convictions, 15% had pending criminal charges, and 39% had no criminal charges or convictions.

ICE arrested more than 7,030 people in Massachusetts during the first 15 months of the Trump administration, nearly five times the 1,470 arrests during the final 415 days of the Biden administration. Arrests involved people from 100 countries, with the highest numbers from Brazil and Guatemala, and took place at courthouses, police departments, and in public spaces. Nearly half of those arrested had no pending criminal charges, with 46% marked only for being in the country without legal status.

San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez transferred 83 inmates to ICE custody in 2025, nearly tripling the 30 transfers made in 2024. The increase was driven by 53 federal ICE warrants, many issued under Operation Guardian Angel, a federal initiative using judicial warrants to bypass sanctuary law limits. The transfers included individuals with both violent and nonviolent convictions, and approximately 30 violated county policy. Community members, immigrant advocates, and some supervisors urged Martinez to end ICE cooperation, but she defended the practice as safer than community-based enforcement and declined to change the policy.

A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration violated the law by terminating the immigration status of nearly 900,000 migrants who entered the U.S. through the CBP One parole program. The judge found that the administration failed to follow required legal procedures when revoking parole status via email. The ruling reinstates the immigration status of those affected, temporarily protecting them from deportation.

Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse University professor, developed DEICER, a crowdsourced mapping app that alerts users to ICE activity and agent locations. After the app gained 30,000 users, the Department of Justice pressured Apple to remove it from the App Store in October 2025. Concepcion lost his university job and received death threats but continued developing modified versions of the tool.

A federal judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security's mandatory detention policies for immigrants who entered without inspection violated federal law and the Administrative Procedure Act. The ruling allows hundreds of immigration detainees in Nevada to seek bond hearings before an immigration judge. The ACLU of Nevada brought the class action lawsuit challenging the policies, which advocates said could also affect thousands of future immigration detainees.

The St. Charles County Council unanimously approved a 287(g) partnership agreement between the county police department and ICE, allowing local officers to enforce limited immigration authority during routine police duties. The vote took place amid community opposition, with dozens of residents and advocacy groups present to protest the measure, though council members did not discuss the bill before passing it.

Reports and 911 call data from Camp East Montana, the country's largest ICE detention center in El Paso, Texas, reveal overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition, and inadequate sanitation affecting over 3,000 detainees. An ICE inspection found conditions violated roughly 60 federal detention standards, though the report was never released. At least two deaths occurred at the facility—a Cuban man's death ruled a homicide by asphyxia and a Nicaraguan man's death by suicide—with at least six additional suicide attempts reported.

According to arrest data from December 2025 to February 2026, approximately 63 percent of people arrested by ICE in Minnesota had no criminal record, with over 3,700 residents detained for civil immigration violations like overstayed visas. In Maine, roughly 80 percent of the nearly 200 people detained in January had only noncriminal immigration violations, with only 11 having criminal records. The data, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and analyzed by the Deportation Data Project, contradicted Trump administration claims that arrests targeted serious criminals. Most arrestees were from Latin American countries, with over one-quarter from Ecuador.

Since January 2025, law enforcement agencies referred more than 100 arrests from Portland ICE facility protests to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Of 109 referrals, 75 resulted in criminal charges, 28 were rejected, and 6 remain under consideration. Of the 75 cases filed, 24 resulted in convictions, 43 remain open, and 8 resulted in dismissals or acquittals.

Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale ICE enforcement operation conducted in Minneapolis and St. Paul between December 2025 and March 2026, resulted in approximately 3,700 to 4,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants. Federal data showed that 63-75 percent of those arrested had no criminal convictions, with only about 13 percent facing pending criminal charges. The operation peaked in early January with over 100 arrests per day before declining significantly. Most arrestees were from Latin American countries such as Ecuador and Mexico, with less than 3 percent from Somalia despite initial focus on Somali communities. About 35 percent were "collateral" arrests rather than targeted enforcement actions, and the operation caused an estimated $200-203 million in economic damage.

Houston City Council members demanded accountability and policy changes after discovering that at least two police officers directly transported people to ICE agents in July and August 2025. Mayor John Whitmire stated the officers violated Houston Police Department policy. Council members called for Police Chief Noe Diaz to appear before city council to discuss coordination between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, citing concerns that such coordination diverted resources from local law enforcement priorities.

An ABC News analysis of ICE data found that the first 14 months of the second Trump administration represent the deadliest period for the federal immigration detention system in recent years, with 45 deaths reported as of March 29, 2026. The mortality rate has accelerated dramatically, rising from one death per 100,000 admissions in 2022 to 11 deaths per 100,000 admissions in the first ten weeks of 2026. The article examines specific cases including Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian immigrant who died after allegedly being denied dental care for a two-week toothache that developed into a fatal infection, and Victor Manuel Diaz, whose death is classified as a presumed suicide but whose family disputes the conclusion.

Federal data released Monday shows that of nearly 200 people detained during ICE's five-day enforcement operation in Maine beginning January 20, only 11 had recorded criminal records. The operation, called Operation Catch of the Day, contradicted the federal government's claim of targeting the "worst of the worst" criminals, with roughly 80% of those arrested detained solely on immigration violations. At least a quarter of those arrested subsequently challenged their detention in federal court, and many have since been released.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted immigration enforcement operations at interstate weigh stations across Iowa in coordination with Iowa State Patrol troopers. State patrol officers stopped commercial truck drivers for weigh-station violations, and ICE agents stationed at the facilities then conducted immigration status checks and detained individuals. Suraj Vasal, an Indian national who had sought asylum four years earlier, was arrested on February 11, 2026, after failing to stop at a weigh station on Interstate 80. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher ruled on March 24, 2026, that ICE and the immigration court violated Vasal's due process rights by conducting a bond hearing with only 30 minutes' notice, preventing him from obtaining legal representation. The judge ordered a new bond hearing with at least 48 hours' notice and assignment to a different judge.

San Diego County's population declined by 5,300 residents in 2025, reversing prior growth, following a 65% drop in foreign arrivals attributed to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Net international migration fell from 17,655 to 6,135. Census data shows the county's population decline reflects broader demographic shifts across California. Economists warn that continued immigration restrictions could harm labor force availability and economic growth.

A second federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, ruling that undocumented immigrants arrested in the United States can be detained without bond hearings while deportation proceedings continue. The Eighth Circuit reversed a lower court's decision in the case of Joaquin Herrera Avila, a Mexican national arrested in Minnesota in August 2025 after living in the U.S. for over 20 years.