Human Impact Project

A 27-mile segment of a 30-foot steel bollard wall is being constructed in Arizona's San Rafael Valley, an environmentally sensitive area that was spared during the first Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security used federal waivers to expedite construction by eliminating environmental and procurement laws. Environmental groups warn the wall will reduce wildlife crossings by approximately 86% and threaten endangered cross-border species like jaguars.

According to an Instagram post citing AP News, 19 immigrants who were deported to Ghana were moved to an unknown location and cannot be reached by their families or attorneys.

A weeklong Border Patrol operation in Charlotte in mid-November 2025 resulted in 370 arrests of undocumented immigrants through street patrols and vehicle document checks. The operation caused significant disruption: school attendance dropped 20% among public school children, and businesses closed during the enforcement period. Following the operation's conclusion on November 20, the immigrant community held protests. Most of those arrested are expected to be deported. Border Patrol agents subsequently deployed to target New Orleans.

Four U.S. citizens were detained by ICE in Oregon during sweeps in Yamhill County, according to Oregon for All coalition. Two detainees from McMinnville included a 17-year-old high school student. DHS stated the detentions involved obstruction of federal law enforcement officers.

A letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons documents the deaths of Gabriel Garcia-Aviles and Ismael Ayala-Uribe at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in October and September 2025. As of November 2025, ICE has reported 25 detainee deaths since January 23, 2025. The letter raises questions about ICE's compliance with detention standards and medical care protocols.

Vicente Ventura Aguilar has been missing for over 45 days after suffering a medical emergency while in ICE custody in South Los Angeles. He and a friend were taken by masked agents, and his friend, who was deported to Mexico, last saw him fainting in ICE custody. Despite searches of hospitals, morgues, and government agencies, and DHS reporting no records of him, his whereabouts remain unknown.

Internal documents reveal conditions on Avelo Airlines' deportation flights for ICE. Incidents include hazardous materials being loaded onto planes, flight attendants being prevented from conducting required safety checks, shackled migrants unable to evacuate in emergencies, and long mechanical delays leaving detainees trapped on aircraft. A cabin pressure emergency on November 13 injured six people on board.

CNN reviewed dozens of videos showing immigration agents using less-lethal weapons including pepper spray and munitions launchers. The investigation found repeated policy violations in the use of these weapons.

California revoked 17,000 commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants after the Trump administration raised concerns about drivers whose legal status expired before their license expiration dates. The state had previously defended its licensing standards, but launched a review following federal pressure. Officials stated the affected drivers had valid work authorizations, though their licenses violated state law requiring expiration dates to match legal status end dates.

The Santa Ana Police Department has deployed approximately 57 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras from Flock Safety and Motorola to track all drivers in the city, with data shared in national databases. Simultaneously, ICE is establishing a 24/7 social media surveillance team at the Pacific Enforcement Response Center in Santa Ana to identify and target individuals for arrest. The surveillance infrastructure represents a public-private partnership between local law enforcement and immigration authorities.

As the Trump administration intensifies a mass deportation campaign, immigrant parents are rushing to make temporary guardianship arrangements for their children. Legal clinics report increased demand as parents seek to designate emergency caretakers such as friends, acquaintances, or teachers to care for their kids.

The flow of migrants crossing from Guatemala into Mexico has dramatically decreased since the Trump administration implemented stricter border policies and mass deportation campaigns. Migrants who were traveling northward toward the United States are now turning around and heading south, with daily crossings at the Guatemala-Mexico border falling from over 1,000 to 40-50 people. Shelters in Tapachula that were overcrowded with migrants nine months ago have nearly emptied, and raft pilots who once earned over $100 daily ferrying migrants across the Suchiate River now have little work.

Two SUNY Upstate hospital workers who are a married couple were detained by ICE in Mattydale while checking in for what they expected to be a routine final step before judicial approval to remain in the United States. The couple fled Cuba due to persecution related to their sexual orientation and now face potential deportation. Family, friends, coworkers, and Governor Kathy Hochul are advocating for their release.

The Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration enforcement surge in the Chicago region beginning in early September 2025, resulting in over 4,300 arrests during the two-month operation. ICE confirmed at least 4 arrests of men from Mexico on charges including DUI, vehicular burglary, armed robbery, and assault. Federal data indicates most detainees lacked significant criminal records. Faith leaders held a rally at Daley Plaza. Immigrant advocates reported increased hotline calls about ICE encounters. Hundreds of immigrants, protesters, and bystanders were detained or arrested during raids and protests across the Chicago region and suburbs.

The FBI issued a warning about criminals impersonating ICE agents to commit violent crimes including robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and threats. At least five incidents have occurred since early 2025 in North Carolina, New York, and Florida, with impersonators using fake credentials and ICE-labeled clothing to target vulnerable communities. The FBI attributed the effectiveness of these scams to increased ICE enforcement activity and media coverage, and provided guidance to law enforcement on identifying impersonators and verifying legitimate agent credentials.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction restricting the use of force by federal agents in Chicago, finding the Trump administration's version of recent events involving agents was not credible. The judge noted that Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino admitted to lying during proceedings related to the incident.

A ProPublica report documents ICE's detention of approximately 170 American citizens during immigration enforcement operations, revealing widespread Fourth Amendment violations. The article details multiple cases of ICE agents using excessive force against U.S. citizens, including pepper-spraying a man filming agents, tackling a 79-year-old car wash owner, and detaining a woman without outside contact for over two days, despite Department of Homeland Security claims that ICE does not arrest U.S. citizens for immigration enforcement.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against ICE's processing center in Broadview, Illinois, following a class-action lawsuit filed by detainees regarding detention conditions. The judge's order cited overcrowding, filthy toilets, lack of water and hygiene supplies, and inadequate medical care. The 14-day order requires the facility to provide clean bedding, adequate space, soap, toilet paper, medications, and proper meals. The ruling also addresses allegations that immigration agents used pepper balls and tear gas against protesters outside the facility. Former detainees testified about coercive practices related to voluntary deportation papers.

U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration enforcement operation at a Home Depot in Cypress Park on Election Day, involving about two dozen agents in tactical gear and approximately a dozen unmarked vehicles. At least six people were detained, including a toddler who was later reunited with family. Agents also entered a nearby day laborer center operated by IDEPSCA on private property, and one site coordinator was allegedly forcibly detained and injured.

An FBI-led raid at an Idaho race track resulted in immigration-related arrests.

Operation Midway Blitz was a federal immigration enforcement operation conducted in Chicago targeting Latino neighborhoods including Little Village, Pilsen, and the Southeast Side. ABC News examined the operation through interviews with affected families and CBP Commander Gregory Bovino. Federal immigration enforcement in Chicago decreased after many agents left the city in November following the initial operation. The enforcement action had ongoing effects on these communities in subsequent months.

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has pursued detention and deportation practices separating parents from children. In late November 2025, the Women's Refugee Commission and Physicians for Human Rights documented cases of deported adults in Honduras, finding that over half were deported without their children and many were longtime US residents with US citizen children. Many parents reported being unable to obtain information about their children's whereabouts or care following deportation.