Human Impact Project

In September 2025, ICE made approximately 17,500 at-large arrests. Government data shows that more than 60 percent of people detained in at-large arrests since June lack criminal convictions or pending charges. The weekly rate of at-large arrests in September 2025 was more than four times the weekly rate from Trump's first term.

Federal officers are targeting immigrants in communities through at-large arrests. Data shows ICE made approximately 17,500 at-large arrests in September 2025. More than 60% of people arrested since June have no criminal convictions or pending charges. ICE made more than four times as many at-large arrests per week in September 2025 compared to Trump's first term.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids across California's Central Coast from December 26-31, 2025, detaining more than 100 people. DHS stated all 118 arrested were criminals including sex offenders and burglars. Immigrant rights advocates reported 147 total detentions and stated that authorities engaged in racial profiling in predominantly Latino working-class communities. The operations resulted in family separations during the holiday season.

Marwan Marouf appeared before Immigration Judge Abdias Tida after 60 days in ICE detention. He accepted deportation rather than continue fighting his case.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have collaborated on a data-sharing program since March 2025 to identify and detain individuals with deportation orders at airport security checkpoints. The program has resulted in several high-profile cases, including the detention of college student Any Lucía López Belloza and DACA recipient Catalina Santiago, raising concerns about due process violations and civil liberties.

The Trump administration is reopening shuttered prisons across multiple states as immigration detention centers to accommodate over 65,000 people in ICE custody, the highest level in history. Many of these facilities closed due to allegations of abuse, poor conditions, and mismanagement. These facilities operated with histories of poor conditions and reduced government oversight.

Approximately 39,000 child-care workers have left the field. Many immigrant child-care workers report anxiety related to ICE encounters. Schools have canceled field trips, cultural events, and outdoor activities. Student attendance has declined and educators and families report stress.

New data from the Deportation Project reveals significant increases in ICE arrests across New York counties between 2024 and October 2025. Onondaga County arrests increased from 56 to 161, Erie County from 59 to 620, Albany County from 20 to 190, and Monroe County from 6 to 224. Analysis by the New York Immigration Coalition found that people from Central and South America, who comprise 25% of the state's immigrant population, account for 74% of ICE arrests.

Three U.S. citizens of Somali and Latino descent filed a class action lawsuit challenging DHS's "Operation Metro Surge" in Minneapolis, which began after President Trump called Somalis "garbage" in December 2025. The plaintiffs allege federal agents are conducting warrantless stops and arrests based solely on race and ethnicity, violating the Fourth Amendment and federal immigration law. The operation involves 3,000 federal agents targeting predominantly Somali and Latino neighborhoods despite 95% of Somali Minnesotans being U.S. citizens.

The Trace identified 23 incidents in which immigration agents shot at people since Trump's deployment of immigration enforcement agents began in 2025, resulting in 6 deaths and 12 injuries. The incidents involved gun violence connected to ICE raids across multiple cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and others, including the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis and teaching assistant Marimar Martinez in Chicago.

ICE made at least 948 immigration-related arrests in the Pittsburgh region through mid-October 2025, compared to 275 arrests during the same period in 2024. Arrests peaked in July and August at around 140 per month before declining slightly in September. Local responses to the enforcement activity included the establishment of a Rapid Response Network to document actions and community activism.

During court testimony in an immigration detention case, ICE officers revealed they were assigned an unwritten quota to arrest at least eight people daily as part of a temporary task force in Portland. A woman identified as MJMA was arrested without a warrant in Woodburn, detained, and released the next day without conditions. Immigration lawyers are challenging what they call an unlawful dragnet operation, arguing officers arrested the woman without probable cause.

Benton County, Arkansas has seen over 450 ICE arrests from January through October 2025 through a 287(g) cooperation program. The program has resulted in detentions and deportations of individuals arrested on various charges. Legal permanent resident Cristina Osornio was detained on an ICE hold after a traffic stop for minor violations, while her husband was deported to Mexico after a misdemeanor arrest.

In December 2025, the Border Patrol deployed approximately 250 agents to New Orleans as part of Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month crackdown aimed at making 5,000 arrests. Within the first eight days, federal agents arrested 250 people, over 90 percent of whom had no criminal record. The operation prompted community organizing and the formation of activist groups like Ojos to monitor and document ICE activity.

Amnesty International documented allegations of human rights violations at Florida immigration detention facilities, including the Everglades Detention Facility and Krome North Service Processing Center, following increased enforcement actions since January 2025. The report details allegations concerning torture, enforced disappearances, prolonged detention, and poor detention conditions affecting migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. The findings document increased immigration enforcement and the involvement of state and local authorities in federal immigration enforcement through 287(g) agreements.

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.

A Guardian investigation found that ICE has been holding people in small, secretive rooms inside field offices and federal buildings for days or weeks. After ICE issued a June memo allowing up to three-day holds, data showed average detention times increased by nearly 600% at some locations, with cases of people held for months. Legal groups are challenging these practices, citing lack of oversight, denial of legal counsel access, and poor conditions.

U.S. citizen Leo Garcia Venegas was detained twice by ICE agents during workplace raids in southern Alabama in 2025, despite presenting valid REAL ID credentials. The article documents multiple cases of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained during ICE's mass arrest operations, including a 16-year-old in Houston and over 170 cases found by ProPublica where agents held citizens without warrant or proper cause.

The Trump administration implemented a zero-tolerance policy in spring and summer 2018 that separated approximately 3,000 children from their parents at the southern border. Children were sent to shelters thousands of miles away with no contact with parents, and the government lacked a centralized database to facilitate reunifications. Years later, some children remained unreunited with their parents due to chaotic record-keeping and implementation failures.

A federal judge ordered Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to appear in court daily to report use-of-force incidents by his agents during immigration enforcement operations in Chicago. Allegations have been made that agents deployed tear gas in neighborhoods and used force against residents and reporters, including an incident involving tear gas near children preparing for a Halloween parade.

At least 3,000 jailed immigrants have not been located in federal records during Operation Midway Blitz, a seven-week immigration crackdown in Chicago, according to human rights attorneys and organizations. Immigration agents and border patrol officers have detained more than 3,000 allegedly undocumented immigrants. Attorneys have stated that some may have been deported or accepted voluntary departure.

Immigration advocates report that congresspeople were denied access to a San Diego immigration detention facility on October 20th and 27th despite providing advance notice. ICE initially required 7 days notice instead of the legally required 48 hours, then cited the government shutdown as reason for denial despite arrests continuing during the shutdown. The post highlights that San Diego ranks 4th nationally for courthouse arrests while ranking 19th for immigration court activity.

The Department of Homeland Security has sent $5,000 fines to unaccompanied immigrant teenagers ages 14-17 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for unauthorized entry into the United States. Roughly 10 teenagers in New York and at least one in Michigan have received the fines while in federal custody. The fines carry consequences including collection litigation and impacts on immigration cases.

A 16-year-old Ecuadorian student, Joel Camas, was arrested by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment in Lower Manhattan on Thursday while attending Gotham Collaborative High School in the Bronx. Despite being granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in April—a legal protection designed for vulnerable minors—Camas was detained by immigration authorities.

The Trump administration is deploying National Guard troops to cities in response to immigration enforcement operations. Federal agents have been conducting immigration raids and enforcement operations in San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Portland. Courts in Illinois and Oregon have issued orders blocking or restricting National Guard deployments, while the administration warns state officials against interfering with federal immigration enforcement.

At least 20 deaths have been recorded among people in ICE custody in 2025. This coincides with ICE holding nearly 60,000 people in detention and ramping up arrests and hiring. Former agency officials have stated that overcrowding, reduced oversight, staffing shortages for medical teams, and arrests of individuals with unknown medical conditions could result in additional deaths.

The Texas Civil Rights Project is challenging the detention of two Iranian nationals, Shahrokh Rahimi (53) and Argam Nazarian (27), who were arrested in June following U.S. military strikes against Iran. Rahimi was arrested at his home in San Antonio where he had lived for over two decades; Nazarian was arrested in Los Angeles and transferred to El Paso. Both had previously been released on bond or parole and had pending asylum cases based on fear of Christian persecution. The organization claims they are being illegally detained without bond under a new Trump administration policy.

At least 30 human beings have died in ICE custody so far in 2025. A couple, Lucía Pedro Juan and Francisco Gaspar Cristóbal Andrés, were separated during fingerprinting at an ICE field office in Fort Bliss, El Paso, with agents warning them not to communicate. Despite the orders, Pedro Juan broke away to embrace and encourage her husband.

Over a dozen pregnant women have reported experiencing medical neglect, mistreatment, and substandard care while detained by ICE, including cases of miscarriage while shackled and solitary confinement. Advocates documented their experiences and sent a letter to ICE officials and Senate committees requesting the agency identify and release all pregnant detainees and refrain from detaining pregnant, postpartum, or nursing individuals.