Human Impact Project

Lianyong Wei, a 51-year-old Chinese national who had lived in Saipan since entering in 2019 on a two-week parole authorization, died Aug. 23, 2026 at a hospital in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, roughly a day after being placed in ICE custody. Local police had arrested Wei on Aug. 21 on criminal charges, including an alleged attack on a family in their home, and he was transferred to ICE custody the next day to face removal proceedings. A corrections officer found him unresponsive during a routine morning check on Aug. 23; he was rushed to the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation Emergency Room, where resuscitation efforts failed and he was pronounced dead. Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres extended condolences to Wei's family and said the department is reviewing its procedures. The cause of death remains under investigation, and the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles has pressed U.S. authorities for a thorough inquiry and assistance to his family, noting he is at least the fifth Chinese national to die in ICE or Border Patrol custody since March 2025. His death is recorded as the 57th ICE detainee death since January 2025, though reporting on some other in-custody deaths, including those of Jose Chajon-Raxon and Prisciliano Trejo, has been excluded from official tallies following a policy change ending required reporting of deaths within 30 days of release.

Ana Garcia's mother was arrested by ICE near downtown Mount Vernon, Washington, according to her daughter. Ana said the family was not allowed to see her before she was taken away. The five siblings are now navigating daily life without either parent at home.

Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian student at Wright State University and former Wittenberg University soccer recruit, died by suicide after stepping into traffic on Interstate 70 near Springfield, Ohio. Bel had arrived in the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One app and lost his temporary protected status in July following a Supreme Court decision, after which ICE placed him on an ankle monitor as part of an 'alternatives to detention' program. He wrote on social media that the GPS monitor caused him "shame and humiliation," and his family said he faced bullying at school after losing his spot on the Wittenberg soccer team and transferring schools. Bel had been an honor roll student, JROTC member, and local scholarship recipient who hoped to attend medical school.

Julio Alfredo De Ávila Hernández disappeared in Jalisco, Mexico, ten years ago after being tortured by a cartel. His parents and siblings later fled to the United States and applied for asylum, but an immigration judge ruled in April that they must continue their asylum process in Ecuador, Honduras, or Guatemala instead of remaining in the U.S. The family has filed an appeal to try to stay. Julio's sister, Alondra De Ávila, 26, crossed the border with her four-year-old son in 2024 to turn themselves in to immigration authorities and tell their story. "We want to stay here. I don't want my son to live what I lived," she said.

Sae Joon Park, 57, a Korean-born US Army veteran awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the 1989 US invasion of Panama, self-deported to South Korea last year after ICE threatened to detain him at a routine immigration check-in over old criminal convictions. Park had lived in the US since age 7, moving from South Korea to join his mother in Miami, and struggled with PTSD and drug use following his military service, leading to a 2007 drug possession conviction and a 2009 bail-jumping conviction. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pardoned Park for both convictions, opening a pathway for him to seek to have his removal order vacated and legally return to the US. His attorney said the pardon does not guarantee his return. Park now lives in Busan, South Korea, separated from his two adult children.

Gustavo Parraga Durán, a Venezuelan journalist who has been seeking asylum in the U.S. for nearly a decade, was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Utah. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Washington state. His wife said he has no criminal charges, not even traffic tickets, and has lost his job while the family risks losing their home. Parraga Durán is married and the father of two young daughters.

Khalil, a 24-year-old Afghan man whose brother served alongside U.S. forces in the Afghan Army and another brother died fighting the Taliban as a pilot, was deported to the Central African Republic despite having been granted 'withholding of removal' by a U.S. immigration judge in August 2025, who found he could face persecution in Afghanistan. He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024 and was held in ICE custody throughout his time in the U.S.; he did not qualify for asylum due to a Biden-era policy requiring migrants to seek protection in other countries first. His immigration lawyer, Alma David, said his case shows the administration's effort to 'obliterate the global refugee protection system,' while a retired Marine colonel who supervised his brother said he fears Khalil could be killed if eventually returned to Afghanistan.

Milo Yiannopoulos, a 41-year-old British national and former Breitbart News editor known for far-right commentary, was detained by ICE agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on August 27, 2026. DHS said he had legally entered the U.S. in New York City in May 2019 but overstayed his authorized stay, despite previously claiming to hold an O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability. After he failed to appear at an immigration hearing, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22. He was held at an ICE facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, before being deported to the United Kingdom on August 28, just one day after his arrest. Far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed on social media that she had reported him to ICE. The swift deportation prompted questions about preferential treatment compared to others who face lengthy detention, which border czar Tom Homan denied, saying ICE is working to speed up removals for all deportees. Yiannopoulos had previously been a vocal supporter of stricter immigration enforcement and mass deportation policies, with past ties to Donald Trump's political movement.

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen born in Colorado who grew up partly in Mexico, was stopped near Fredericksburg, Texas by Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Gillespie County sheriff's deputies while riding in a construction crew vehicle. He said he repeatedly offered to show his Social Security card and birth certificate, but officers refused and accused him of fraud, and after being held for about five days he signed voluntary removal paperwork under threat of imprisonment. He was deported to Mexico, separating him from his wife and newborn daughter, and spent about four months there before his attorneys, including Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, submitted his certified Colorado birth certificate, hospital records, baptismal certificates, and witness affidavits. He was allowed to return to Austin, where he works installing air conditioners, and has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against DHS and individual officers seeking damages and a judicial declaration of citizenship. His attorneys say the case stemmed from racial profiling amid expanding local police-ICE partnerships, including Gillespie County's participation in the 287(g) program, and that he continues to experience distress and now carries multiple forms of identification at all times.

A Filipina nurse working at a Phoenix hospital's acute-care telemetry unit was taken into ICE custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Her family says she held a valid work permit and has no criminal history, and they remain unaware of the reason for her detention. Her boyfriend, who set up a GoFundMe for her, said her immigration case has a court hearing scheduled for September 4.

Alex Ramirez Gonzalez and Yan Vasquez Hidalgo, a married Cuban couple working in environmental services at SUNY Upstate Medical University, were detained by ICE after appearing for a scheduled immigration hearing in Mattydale, New York. The couple had fled Cuba, entered the U.S. in 2021, turned themselves in to seek asylum, and held valid work authorization. They said they were handcuffed and chained before being transported to a federal detention facility, where they were held for nearly four months, mostly separated from each other. In January, two immigration judges ruled they could not seek asylum in the U.S. but could pursue it in Ecuador, a country to which they have no connection; their lawyer appealed, and the case remains pending. They were released on bond, with one required to wear an ankle monitor, and have returned to their jobs and families in Syracuse. A third coworker, Mohamed Fofana, remains in ICE custody in Texas.

Ivan "Sergio" Chapparo, a shift supervisor at the Oceanview Diner in Berkeley who had worked there for more than six years, was detained by federal immigration agents as he was boarding a flight to Las Vegas at either Oakland or San Francisco International Airport. Friends say Chapparo, a father of three, does not have immigration documents and is currently being held in a detention facility. Restaurant co-owner Will Bishop described him as friendly and well-liked by customers and coworkers, and a friend set up a GoFundMe to help cover his legal costs.

A video circulated by Yakima Community Aid showed a person detained by immigration enforcement agents immediately after being released from Yakima police custody on a Monday. Yakima Police Chief Shawn Boyle said officers did not coordinate with ICE, explaining that ICE and other agencies simply monitor publicly available county jail rosters to learn release times. Boyle defended an officer seen in the video handing the detained person's bag of belongings to an ICE officer, calling the action reasonable given the situation. The incident prompted discussion at a town hall about the Keep Washington Working Act, which restricts local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement.

A relative of Brenda Dumas who holds a valid work permit was detained by ICE in Port Isabel and, after being held, was released with an ankle monitor, becoming one of more than 50,000 people the agency is tracking with the devices. The family member requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the federal government. Dumas said she now uses a phone app to track family members' locations and stays in constant communication with them out of safety concerns.

José Serrano, who served as Ecuador's interior minister from 2012 to 2016 under former President Rafael Correa, was deported to Ecuador on Friday even though a U.S. immigration judge had suspended his removal under the Convention Against Torture. Serrano entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in May 2021 and applied for asylum five months later; ICE arrested him at his Miami home in August 2025 for overstaying his visa. He faces charges in Ecuador for allegedly orchestrating the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, and Judge Romy Lerner had denied his asylum claim in May while blocking his deportation over torture concerns.

A court filing revealed that earlier this year four ICE vehicles sped past a stopped school bus with its lights flashing in New Jersey before heading toward an apartment complex where elementary school children were waiting for another bus. The children scattered and ran away in fear. Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America's Voice, said the incident showed immigration agents treating young children on their way to school as targets.

Bill Bassikissa Bounguiena, a Cumberland County corrections officer, was detained by ICE in South Portland in June 2026. The Sheriff's Office said he had been hired in August 2024, had no discipline issues, and 'demonstrated dedication to his duties' by often working overtime. He held an employment authorization document confirming he could legally work in the U.S. until 2030, and the Sheriff's Office said it had no further information on why ICE detained him.

A 51-year-old native of Mexico who entered the U.S. lawfully in 1993 and remained for 33 years while raising a family was detained on May 29, 2026, during a routine traffic stop after local law enforcement learned of his immigration status. He had been cooperating with immigration authorities, submitting applications for lawful permanent residency that were approved by USCIS and appearing for required biometrics appointments. The court granted his preliminary injunction petition, finding he possessed a constitutionally protected liberty interest and was entitled to pre-deprivation process before detention, ordering his immediate release.

Aracelio "Mike" Hernandez, who came to the United States at age 4 and has lived there for 60 years, was picked up by ICE and is being held for deportation. His family describes him as a dependable, hardworking community member, a devoted husband to his wife Katie, and a loving father and grandfather. His family is raising funds for legal fees to fight his deportation and to support his wife and family during the ordeal.

Johnny Ojeda was detained by ICE agents on West Street in Danbury last week, according to video of the incident. His fiancée said he has never committed a crime and was in the process of applying to become a U.S. citizen. She said he was transferred to a detention center in Rhode Island and is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court.

Jay Dabelus, a professional boxer born in the Bahamas who left as a child and spent more than two decades living in the United States, was deported to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, saying he has never lived there and has no family or resources to rely on. He was among more than 50 people deported on the flight, including two minors, according to Haiti's National Office of Migration. The flight landed in Cap-Haïtien rather than Port-au-Prince because the capital's main airport is considered too dangerous amid gang violence. It was the second U.S. deportation flight to Haiti since Temporary Protected Status was ended for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S.

A man detained by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE at the McCook Detention Facility in McCook, Nebraska, filed a habeas corpus petition seeking immediate release from custody. The petition does not detail his nationality, family circumstances, employment, or the circumstances of his arrest. The federal court issued an order to show cause, requiring the government to certify the cause and duration of his detention and justify why the writ should not be granted. The court ordered respondents to file a return with supporting affidavits, a legal memorandum, and copies of any arrest warrant by September 2, 2026. The petitioner may file a reply by September 9, 2026. The court also enjoined the respondents from removing him from the United States or from Nebraska, and ordered that if he had already been removed from the state, he must be immediately returned.

The petitioner filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on August 28, 2026, seeking to prevent his transfer out of the Western District of Washington. Federal Respondents confirmed that he is currently detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. Under the court's scheduling order, immigration officials are required to give 48 or 72 hours' notice before transferring him out of the district. Because his location was confirmed and no transfer notice has been issued, both parties jointly asked the court to withdraw the pending TRO motion. The court granted the joint motion and withdrew the TRO. The order notes that the petitioner may again seek emergency injunctive relief if federal officials later provide notice of a transfer.

Edel Hernandez Cervantes, a Danbury construction worker described by family as an expert baker who once owned a bakery in Mexico known for baking bread for Día de los Muertos and Three Kings Day, was tackled and tased by ICE agents on August 27, 2026, as he left for work with coworkers. Neighbors captured video showing agents surrounding the vehicle, pulling him to the ground, kicking him while he lay face down and restrained, and shocking him repeatedly with a Taser as he complained of hypertension. He was taken by ambulance to Danbury Hospital, but hospital staff and ICE denied his family and an attorney access to see him, saying there was no record of him as a patient. Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said he had already been transported to Hartford by ICE before officials could intervene, and his whereabouts and condition remained unclear for days afterward.

Soumia Bensalah, a French Moroccan immigrant with a pending green card application, was repeatedly released from Pinellas County Jail and rebooked every 72 hours to be transported shackled to an ICE office and back, a practice she said left her exhausted and humiliated. Legal experts say these 'rebookings' circumvent federal rules limiting how long county jails can hold immigrants for ICE. ProPublica found Pinellas County rebooked 174 immigrants and Orange County, Florida rebooked 559 immigrants this way, far more than any other jails nationwide, due to a shortage of ICE detention space.

Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said a 30-year resident of the city who held work authorization, paid taxes and was working toward permanent U.S. residency was among those detained during the ICE operation. "The folks doing it the right way are also getting deported. We can't stand for that any more," Alves said. Alves said ICE officers appeared to be engaged in racial profiling by targeting people in public spaces, an allegation DHS denied.

Johnny Queda, 28, was pulled over and taken into custody by ICE agents while driving home from a construction job in Danbury, Connecticut. His fiancée, Kimberly Rivas, said Queda is from Ecuador, has lived in the U.S. for five years while working toward citizenship, pays taxes, and has an attorney. "It's just so sad because he had nothing criminal going on. He pays his taxes every year. He has a lawyer. He does everything right," Rivas said.

ICE conducted a multi-day enforcement operation in Danbury, Connecticut, with the mayor estimating about 50 people detained by Wednesday, not including further arrests on Thursday. Surveillance video from a security camera near Kennedy Park, at a business owned by Maria Rivera, captured agents throwing, kicking, and kneeling on a man's head as he was arrested outside a local Botanica store. The area had previously drawn up to 200 day laborers each morning, but immigrants and residents now avoid it, and nearby business owners reported fear and declining customer traffic. Agents were also seen waiting near school bus stops and outside a daycare center. A local blogger documenting the activity said agents grabbed day laborers off the street without warrants. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said ICE had not explained why it was operating in Danbury and that he was exploring legal options to hold the administration accountable, while DHS confirmed the enforcement activity but declined to provide further details, citing operational security.

Cleiton Toledo de Souza was taken into federal custody on Tremont Street in Norwood after Homeland Security officers attempted to arrest him and he allegedly drove off, striking two parked vehicles, before running away and being caught. DHS said de Souza was wanted in Brazil for homicide and had prior DUI arrests, and that he entered the U.S. without authorization in July 2021, was arrested by Customs and Border Protection, and later released into the country. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Jhonny Ojeda, a 26-year-old construction worker from Ecuador, was arrested by ICE agents on the street across from Danbury City Hall. His fiancée, Kim Rivas, said Ojeda had no criminal record, paid taxes every year, and had legal representation. The arrest was part of a broader ICE enforcement operation in Danbury this week.

Sofía Pineda and her parents, Nora Cardona Bravo and Leonardo Pineda Hernández, were detained by immigration agents at Atlanta's airport in mid-August as they prepared to board a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to celebrate a birthday. The family, originally from Armenia, Colombia, had chosen to fly instead of drive for the trip. Sofía's boyfriend, Nicholas Kim, a U.S. citizen who had been dating her for about eight months, was traveling with them but was not detained. The family had entered the U.S. on tourist visas and later filed an asylum application with USCIS, and are now in deportation proceedings.

Two men were detained by ICE agents in a Home Depot parking lot in Tacoma, Washington, after officers broke the window of their car. A bystander, Lance Braunwart, told N+ Univision that when he tried to record the license plates of the agents' vehicles, one agent appeared to try to hit him with the car even though there was enough room to leave. Braunwart said he and another couple stayed at the scene, located the wife of one of the detained men, and helped bring the men's truck and construction materials to her home. According to Braunwart, the two men had only gone to the Home Depot to pick up the last materials for a job they were completing.

Brandon Domena, a lifelong Passaic County, New Jersey resident and U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE agents for about five hours after a confrontation broke out while he and his family watched agents arrest a neighbor, reportedly a Mexican man wanted for domestic violence. Video showed agents in tactical gear restraining Domena face-down on a lawn and handcuffing him, with a witness saying his arm was nearly dislocated; he says he was left with bruises and marks on his hands. Domena said he repeatedly told agents he was a U.S. citizen, believes he was racially profiled, and was denied water, a restroom, medical attention and a phone call during his detention. DHS alleges he spit at and kicked an officer and was arrested on potential charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers, but he has not been criminally charged. He disputes DHS's account, says an agent later apologized to him, was released the same day, and has hired a lawyer.

Leonel Geovanny Morocho-Arteaga, a 28-year-old Ecuadoran national, was arrested by ICE during a targeted operation in Danbury, Connecticut. DHS said he had entered the United States without authorization and was previously arrested by Customs and Border Protection in July 2021 before being released. The agency said agents found a large kitchen knife in his vehicle during the stop and that his child is under the guardianship of her mother. Morocho-Arteaga remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Jordan Shafapay is being detained by ICE and facing possible deportation to Canada, according to a fundraiser set up by his loved ones. His situation grew more precarious after the unexpected death of his father, whose green card status Jordan had been under. Friends and family are raising money to hire an immigration attorney to fight his case.

Jorge Guzmán, a Venezuelan father of four who arrived in the United States five years ago seeking a better future for his family, was unexpectedly arrested by ICE while returning home from work in Miami. He was subsequently transferred to a detention center in another state, far from his children and family. His family is raising funds to hire an immigration lawyer to fight his deportation and secure his release.

A foreign national who entered the United States around 2008 was arrested and detained by ICE officers on August 26, 2026, without prior notice while he was on his way to work. He is currently held at the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center, with the government asserting he is subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his detention. The district court granted the petition, relying on recent Third Circuit precedent holding that noncitizens already present in the United States are not 'seeking admission' and therefore cannot be detained under § 1225(b), but only under § 1226. The court ordered the government to release him immediately, temporarily enjoined his re-detention for seven days, and required that any future detention be preceded by a bond hearing before a neutral immigration judge. The court also barred the government from removing or transferring him out of the district pending that bond hearing.

Two volunteers working as legal observers for Danbury Unites for Immigrants were pepper sprayed by ICE agents during an encounter on Wednesday, with one of them hospitalized afterward, according to co-founder Juan Fonseca Tapia. Tapia said an ICE vehicle struck him as agents were leaving the parking lot. The hospitalized legal observer was treated and has since returned to volunteer work, the group said.

A Mexican woman who was eight months pregnant was pulled over by Lee County deputies over her vehicle's dark window tint, and her nephew, a U.S. citizen, was called to the scene to translate. The nephew said ICE agents then grabbed him and placed him in handcuffs without cause, telling the story of protesting his detention by saying he would sue. The incident occurred amid a broader wave of ICE arrests across Lee County neighborhoods that week.

ICE agents carried out a raid early Wednesday morning at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Alderman Street off Palm Beach Boulevard in Lee County, Florida, detaining dozens of people using masked agents, armored vehicles and machine guns. Resident Ana Hernandez said neighbors live in fear of being stopped for being undocumented, while witness Hillary Hogue described the arrests as targeting hardworking people, not criminals. ICE released images of five men with prior arrests taken into custody but has not disclosed the total number detained, and immigration attorney Indera DeMine said courts in Miami are experiencing "mass chaos" from the surge in cases.

ICE agents wearing masks boarded a Houston METRO bus to carry out arrests, prompting outrage among local residents. The incident drew public reaction over safety concerns for people using public transit in the city.

Luis Miguel Vallecillo has been held in ICE custody for nearly 10 months. His family says he suffers from a health condition that may weaken his immune system, raising fears about his wellbeing in detention. They say six of his relatives have already been deported.

Daraimi Bizo, a Cuban woman, said ICE officers detained her husband while the couple was traveling by car, leaving her alone with their baby. She shared her account publicly, describing the moment as distressing, and her testimony drew concern and solidarity on social media.

Julian David Palacios Obregon, a Colombian human rights activist and lawful permanent resident with ties to Canada, has spent nearly two years in ICE detention at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. He filed a second habeas corpus petition challenging his prolonged detention, arguing that his removal was no longer imminent because it now depends on a multi-stage immigration process rather than direct deportation. Palacios Obregon has suffered from a severe gastrointestinal infection, and a colonoscopy scheduled for May 12, 2026 did not take place as planned. He now faces having to choose between receiving the medical procedure and attending his asylum hearing. A federal court previously found his removal to Canada reasonably foreseeable but ordered that he be given a chance to have his fear of removal reviewed by an immigration judge before any deportation. The court denied his request for expedited release or bond but ordered the government to explain the delay in his medical care and outline plans to reschedule it.

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a 24-year-old Venezuelan man, was shot in the leg by ICE agent Christian Castro during a January raid on his North Minneapolis home. His partner, Indriany Mendoza Camacho, said agents fired through the door as Sosa-Celis fled inside, and a photograph showed a bullet hole in the door; agents then threw tear gas into the home, which had children inside, before entering to detain him. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and his cousin, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, with assaulting officers with a snow shovel and broom, but surveillance video contradicted the officers' sworn testimony. A federal judge dismissed the charges with prejudice after the U.S. Attorney cited newly discovered evidence, and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons acknowledged two officers may have lied under oath; both were placed on administrative leave. Minnesota later charged Castro with assault, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite him, prompting a lawsuit from Minnesota's attorney general.

Emmanuel was detained by ICE at a license checkpoint and has since been arrested and held in detention. His wife, Jazmin, says he is the family's main provider and a hard worker who poses no threat to society. The couple has two children together, including a newborn only 20 days old, and Jazmin is still recovering from childbirth and on maternity leave from work. She is raising money to cover legal fees to help bring him home.

A man detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his arrest and continued detention. The government argued he was lawfully held under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1), the expedited removal statute, but the court found that provision did not apply because he was not 'arriving in the United States.' The court instead determined his detention was governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which applies to noncitizens present in the country without admission. He was being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility. The court granted his habeas petition, ordering his immediate release, and directed the government to provide him a bond hearing before an immigration judge within ten days. The court denied the government's request to impose monitoring equipment on him pending that hearing. The government was also ordered to file a status report on the outcome of the bond hearing.

The petitioner is currently detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging his immigration detention. The court ordered federal respondents to file a response within 7 days addressing the date he entered the United States, whether he was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the current status of his immigration or removal proceedings. The petitioner was granted the opportunity to file a reply within 7 days after the response is filed. The document does not provide further details regarding his nationality, family circumstances, or the specifics of his apprehension.

A video posted online showed five ICE agents in Danbury attempting to wrestle a man's arms behind his back while he lay on the street in front of a preschool center. A masked agent pointed a canister of what appeared to be pepper spray at the man's face, warning, "You're going to get sprayed," while another agent ordered him to put his arms out. The incident occurred during a week in which ICE agents made a sharp uptick in arrests across Danbury, with local advocacy group Danbury Unites for Immigrants confirming dozens of arrests in the city.

Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in North Austin on August 16, 2026, while driving to a children's soccer game. Video showed Liam crying and clutching his handcuffed father's hands; a family spokesperson said Liam had been due to start kindergarten that week. The two were held together at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said officials denied requests to release Liam to his mother in Austin rather than risk him being placed alone in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. DHS said Martinez Nieto had entered near Laredo in 2022, was arrested in November 2025, and had reentered after a prior deportation. Lawmakers Joaquin Castro, Greg Casar, and James Talarico called for the pair's release and for Dilley's closure, with Castro denied a facility visit. Martinez Nieto agreed to depart voluntarily with his son, and the two were deported to Mexico, reuniting with relatives with help from the Mexican Consulate, while Liam's mother sought ways to reunite with him.