Human Impact Project

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients in recent months. Over 515,000 DACA beneficiaries, including Paulo Cesar Gamez Lira and community organizer Catalina Santiago, have been arrested and detained. ICE has conducted raids, airport detentions, and detentions of DACA recipients.

Newly unredacted documents obtained by the ACLU reveal details about Immigration and Customs Enforcement's plans to expand immigration detention capacity in Colorado. The documents show multiple facilities across the state with proposed capacities ranging from 700 to 2,250 people, with timelines for operations ranging from 30 days to one year after funding approval. The expansion is part of a larger federal initiative allocating $45 billion to ICE for detention infrastructure expansion.

According to a court filing, Adrian Sotelo Guzman was forcibly removed by ICE from Fairview Southdale hospital shortly after a judge initially ruled he should remain in Minnesota.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting further expansion of an immigration detention center nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" built in the Florida Everglades. The judge ordered the winding down of the facility and transfer of detainees to other locations within 60 days, citing violations of environmental laws and inadequate consideration of alternative locations. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe had challenged the project, arguing it threatened protected wetlands and reversed decades of Everglades restoration efforts.

Undocumented immigrants in Florida and Texas face choices between seeking shelter during hurricanes and immigration enforcement during disaster season. The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement capacity, including 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement and FEMA funding for detention centers. Schools, hospitals, and emergency shelters have become locations where immigration enforcement occurs. Federal and state agencies have not provided clarity on whether immigration enforcement would be suspended during natural disasters. Vulnerable communities rely on nonprofits and grassroots organizations for support.

No More Deaths released a comprehensive database and map of recovered migrant remains along the US-Mexico border, providing the most comprehensive statistical record to date of people who died crossing into the United States. The database reveals that many deceased individuals were US residents, confirms asylum seekers among the dead, and documents that CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility has failed to record the vast majority of border patrol-related deaths. The data shows 20-40% more migrant deaths than CBP's official count depending on the sector.

A federal appeals court upheld a lower court's temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California. The decision prevents the government from making sweeping immigration enforcement actions without proper legal justification.

Ted Jones, a 24-year-old British man, was deported from the United States to Britain in August 2025 after ICE identified a 2022 drink-driving conviction and visa irregularities. Jones moved to the US as a child and was removed during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. According to ICE data, 212 people were deported from the US to the UK between Trump's inauguration and October 2025, compared to the same period under the Biden administration.

ProPublica documented nearly 50 incidents of ICE officers breaking car windows to make arrests since Trump took office, compared to just eight in the previous decade. The tactic has resulted in injuries to detainees including children and U.S. citizens. Use-of-force experts say there is no official policy authorizing the practice, but officers who employ it are being promoted rather than disciplined.

Guillermo Medina Reyes, a 31-year-old San Jose tattoo artist and Mexican national, was arrested in Berkeley on July 27 following an alleged vehicle theft crime spree. Reyes had been fighting ICE deportation efforts, with a judge barring his detention two weeks prior to the arrest. He was charged with multiple felonies including carjacking, vehicle theft, and grand theft. Reyes faces criminal prosecution and potential imprisonment, followed by deportation proceedings.

Guillermo Medina Reyes, 31, a San Jose tattoo artist facing ICE deportation, was arrested in Berkeley after authorities say he attempted three carjackings on Sunday. Reyes was described as combative and altered when detained and was taken for mental evaluation after the incidents.

Sandra was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in appointment at the agency's San Francisco field office on July 11, 2025, and has since been held in a detention center awaiting updates on her pending asylum case. Her husband Roberto, who recently obtained legal status, was present during the arrest. Sandra remains in detention with an uncertain timeline for resolution of her years-long immigration proceedings.

Multiple men across at least three states have been arrested for impersonating ICE agents to sexually assault immigrant women since Trump's inauguration. Cases include a man in Prince George's County, Maryland who raped a Latina woman while posing as an ICE agent, and another in Raleigh, North Carolina who kidnapped and raped an immigrant woman while threatening deportation.

A Guardian investigation found that ICE increasingly detains people in small holding facilities for days or weeks in violation of federal policy. ICE had previously prohibited detention longer than 12 hours in these facilities, but a June memo allowed up to three days. Analysis of detention data found ICE uses at least 170 holding facilities nationwide, with some locations seeing detention times increase by nearly 600% after the rule change.

The Trump administration is planning to expand ICE detention capacity in Colorado by opening as many as six new detention facilities across the state, including locations in Walsenburg, Hudson, Colorado Springs, and La Junta. Congress approved $45 billion for new immigration detention centers to support the administration's goal of doubling detention capacity nationwide. ACLU litigation obtained FOIA documents revealing these expansion plans, identifying potential sites that include closed or former correctional facilities. Private prison operators including the GEO Group have proposed expanding existing facilities and reopening shuttered prisons to support ICE's Denver Field Office. Over 3,000 people were detained in Colorado's ICE network in 2025, including 39 children ages 9 or younger at the Denver location, with arrests in the field office increasing nearly 300 percent since Trump took office.

The American Civil Liberties Union obtained documents through FOIA litigation revealing ICE's plans to expand immigration detention facilities in Colorado. The documents identify six potential detention sites under consideration, many of which are closed facilities owned by private prison corporations. The expansion comes after Congress allocated $45 billion to ICE for nationwide detention infrastructure expansion.

Bellingcat analyzed videos of over 100 immigration raids in Los Angeles between June 6 and June 22, 2025, documenting patterns in enforcement by ICE and CBP officers. The raids targeted workers at car washes, street vendors, and Home Depot parking lots, with officers often masked, unmarked, and using unmarked vehicles. Some have claimed the tactics constitute racial profiling and violation of federal law regarding identification and warrants.

The Trump administration expanded mandatory immigration detention in July 2025 to include all immigrants who arrived illegally, regardless of criminal history. North Lake Detention Center in Baldwin, Michigan, experienced a surge from 400 to nearly 1,400 detainees by late 2025, resulting in inadequate medical care, multiple 911 calls, at least one death, and numerous cases of medical neglect.

A 60-year-old Afghan migrant, Baqir Rezaei, died in an Iranian detention camp in Zabol after being intercepted despite holding an official exit permit. He was held without food or water and forced to work under extreme heat conditions. According to his family, at least eight migrants died in the camp out of 35 who lost consciousness from heat and thirst.

Two Los Angeles City Council members introduced motions to require LAPD to verify the identities of individuals claiming to be law enforcement and increase penalties for impersonating public safety personnel. The motions address plainclothes individuals in unmarked vehicles conducting immigration enforcement without proper identification. The motions were introduced following immigration enforcement actions in Huntington Park and other areas across Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell issued a new directive requiring LAPD officers responding to potential ICE immigration enforcement actions to request a supervisor, verify federal agent credentials, and document verification on bodycam footage. The policy was issued in response to ICE operations that were mischaracterized as kidnappings and includes instructions for officers to take enforcement action if they determine individuals are not legitimate federal officers.

The Los Angeles Police Department instructed officers to verify the identities of ICE agents making arrests following reports of "attempted kidnappings" by unidentified individuals claiming to be federal officers. The incident involved Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, who reported being detained by uniformed men in unmarked vehicles and taken directly to the border for self-deportation. DHS denied ICE involvement.

ICE uses unmarked vehicles, plain clothes, and masks to conduct immigration enforcement operations. Multiple incidents have been documented in which individuals posed as ICE officers and committed kidnappings, robberies, and home invasions against immigrants and communities. Law enforcement gear and vehicles are available for purchase online.

Since El Paso joined Texas' Operation Lone Star in late 2022, migrant deaths in the region increased. From January 2023 to August 2024, 299 human remains were reported in the El Paso Border Patrol sector compared to 122 remains found in the prior 20 months, making it the deadliest sector along the U.S.-Mexico border. Volunteer search and rescue groups, including Battalion Search and Rescue, discovered numerous bodies in the New Mexico desert, often locating remains months after initial reports. Families of missing migrants awaited identification, with some waiting months or years for results. Advocates and experts attributed the increase to enforcement policies that redirected migrants toward more dangerous routes.

Since El Paso joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star border enforcement mission in late 2022, migrant deaths in the El Paso sector have increased dramatically. From January 2023 to August 2024, 299 human remains were reported in the El Paso sector—the deadliest of any border sector and more than double the 122 remains found in the 20 months before the operation began. Volunteer search groups continue to discover bodies in the New Mexico desert west of El Paso, with many remains unidentified for months.

A Spanish-language journalist known for documenting immigration raids was detained by ICE after being arrested by police during a weekend protest outside Atlanta. The journalist faces charges of obstructing officers and unlawful assembly while covering the protest and could face deportation proceedings.

Despite a 90% drop in migrant apprehensions since Trump took office, thousands continue attempting to cross the southern border through increasingly dangerous routes. Smugglers are adopting new tactics including remote coordination via cellphones and sending migrants alone through treacherous terrain like Otay Mountain and the Sonoran Desert, resulting in numerous deaths from exposure and accidents.

The Trump administration has dismissed immigration cases for at least 24 people detained at El Salvador's CECOT prison, denying them legal proceedings in U.S. courts. These individuals, mostly Venezuelan nationals, were sent to CECOT without final deportation orders and had their cases dismissed in their absence, effectively erasing their legal status in the U.S. immigration system. Lawyers argue the detainees remain in U.S. custody and are entitled to due process and hearings.

Deaths of migrants in the New Mexico desert have surged since El Paso joined Texas' Operation Lone Star in late 2022. The El Paso sector became the deadliest place for migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border by 2024, with 299 human remains reported from January 2023 to August 2024—more than double the previous 20-month period. Volunteer search groups like Battalion Search and Rescue have discovered numerous migrant bodies in the region.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and FBI agents conducted a raid near San Pedro Mart in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025, targeting a Korean American garment business hub. Approximately ten federal agents conducted field interviews and inquiries at several businesses, causing business owners to close early and send workers home amid heightened tensions. Similar enforcement activity was also reported in Huntington Park and Maywood that morning, part of a broader 30-day intensified immigration enforcement period in Southern California.

Immigration attorneys report that ICE arrests at required check-in appointments for immigrants seeking legal status have resumed in San Francisco after being paused for approximately six weeks. Since President Trump took office in January, the frequency of check-in appointments has increased to sometimes every three months, and arrests at these appointments ramped up in June 2025, slowed in December following lawsuits, and have now resumed again.

ICE agents conducted arrests at immigration courts across the United States this week. The arrests followed a January DHS directive reversing protections for courthouse arrests. President Trump expanded fast-track deportation authority after taking office.

US Customs and Border Protection has rescinded four Biden-era policies regarding detainees, including pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and those with serious medical conditions. The memo, dated May 5 and signed by acting commissioner Pete Flores, eliminated standards for access to water and food for pregnant detainees, privacy for breastfeeding mothers, and stocked diapers and formula in holding facilities. CBP stated the policies were obsolete and misaligned with current enforcement priorities.

Documents obtained by Shasta Scout show the Shasta County Sheriff's Office attempted to enter a 287(g) agreement with ICE last May that would have given local officers immigration enforcement authority. The process was paused after an ICE official noted it would violate California's Values Act, which prohibits state law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement. No California law enforcement agencies are documented as having entered such agreements with ICE.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is conducting nationwide operations targeting unaccompanied immigrant children. According to internal documents, the operations include deportations and pursuit of criminal cases against them and their sponsors. The Trump administration has directed ICE to track down and deport this group and to share sensitive data from the federal agency monitoring these children. Legal advocates state this constitutes family separation and is causing trauma and fear among immigrant families.

The Dominican Republic conducted a major enforcement operation deporting over 130 Haitian women and children, including approximately 48 pregnant women and 39 new mothers, from hospitals across the country. The deportations were carried out under a new immigration policy implemented by President Luis Abinader requiring hospital patients to provide identification and proof of residence at 33 public hospitals. Medical professionals, human rights groups, and the UN issued statements regarding the action. The crackdown is part of the government's broader effort to reduce undocumented migration.

Florida launched Operation Tidal Wave, a major immigration enforcement initiative utilizing 287(g) agreements that allow local police to exercise federal immigration authority. The operation, which began in April 2025 and continued through January 2026, resulted in over 10,400 arrests across the state targeting individuals with final deportation orders and serious criminal records. The effort involved coordination between Florida state and local law enforcement with federal agencies including ICE, CBP, FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service.

Brandon Gonzalez has lived in Arizona since infancy. His family came to the United States from Mexico in 1999. On July 14, Gonzalez was detained by immigration enforcement.

Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol under Florida's new immigration law (SB 4-C) and held by ICE despite his mother presenting his birth certificate to a judge who dismissed charges. A federal judge extended her block of the immigration law through April 29, citing the wrongful arrest of the American-born citizen.

Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban man, died in ICE custody in Florida on April 12, 2025, in what appeared to be a suicide attempt. He is the second person to die by suspected suicide in ICE custody in Florida in less than a month. At least 49 people have died under ICE custody since Trump took office in January 2025.

Current and former flight attendants for GlobalX, the charter airline operating deportation flights for ICE, reported concerns about safety and humanitarian conditions aboard these flights. Flight attendants reported being instructed not to interact with shackled detainees, receiving inadequate emergency evacuation training for restrained passengers, and equipment failures including broken air conditioning and lavatories. Multiple attendants stated concerns about safety risks and their inability to properly care for passengers.

The Supreme Court appeared likely to strike down President Trump's January 2025 executive order ending birthright citizenship, which sought to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented or temporarily present immigrants. The 14th Amendment's citizenship clause, ratified in 1868, has been understood for over a century to confer citizenship on nearly everyone born in the United States. Multiple federal courts have already blocked the executive order as unconstitutional.

A federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration's policy that would subject thousands of refugees to arrest and detention if they fail to obtain green cards within a year of entering the United States. The policy, part of 'Operation PARRIS,' potentially affects over 100,000 lawfully admitted refugees. The judge ruled the policy was an unlawful reinterpretation of immigration law departing from decades of established practice.

On March 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security fired nearly all staff at its Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) through reduction in force notices. By May 2025, CRCL had seen an 80 percent staff cut and OIDO a 96 percent cut, drastically reducing the agencies' ability to investigate complaints, make recommendations, and conduct facility inspections.

The Trump administration deported 238 Venezuelan immigrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March 2025, labeling them as terrorists and dangerous gang members. However, internal Department of Homeland Security data obtained by ProPublica reveals that officials knew only 32 had been convicted of U.S. crimes, with most being nonviolent offenses, and more than half had no U.S. criminal record at all, having only violated immigration laws. The deportees were sent to CECOT prison in El Salvador without judicial review, and many remain incarcerated for over two months with no ability to contact families or lawyers.

Chicago attorneys filed a federal court motion on March 13, 2025, accusing ICE and DHS of violating immigration law and constitutional rights of at least 22 people arrested since January. The motion alleges agents made warrantless arrests and created warrants in the field after arrests, including the arrest of a U.S. citizen. Attorneys cite violations of the Nava Settlement and Fourth Amendment protections.

The Trump administration has resumed detaining immigrant families at U.S. facilities, reversing a Biden-era policy pause and reopening two Texas family detention centers that had been closed since 2021. The facilities have inadequate medical care, food insecurity, and conditions associated with psychological trauma for detainees. Additionally, the administration has begun sending deportees, including children, to detention facilities in Panama and Costa Rica.

The Trump administration is reviving the practice of detaining migrant families with children in ICE custody, with the first group including three children detained at a facility in Texas. The move reverses Biden administration policy. Two Texas detention centers in Karnes City and Dilley are being refitted to house families with minors.

Former ICE Acting Chief of Staff Deborah Fleischaker testified before Congress about operational challenges in immigration enforcement and the limitations of technology. She noted that actual removal and arrest numbers have declined compared to Fiscal Year 2024 averages, despite increased enforcement efforts and resources under the Trump Administration.

Since last year, ICE has detained 265 minors with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and deported 132 of them. SIJS was created in 1990 as a pathway to citizenship for minors who are victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, and shields these children from deportation during their green card application process.