Human Impact Project

Occupy ICE LA documents cases of protesters arrested during demonstrations at ICE facilities in Los Angeles. Kathy was acquitted after being charged with assaulting a federal officer, with the post alleging the officer actually assaulted her. Johnny Rosales remains detained since August 2, 2025, facing similar charges. Three others—Akalei Brown, Cynthia Saragoza, and Sandra Semane—face trial on conspiracy charges related to doxxing a federal agent, with the post claiming video evidence proves their innocence.

Spencer Gair Harrington, a Canadian citizen residing in the U.S. since 2019, was arrested on December 18, 2025 during a USCIS interview for his green card application based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. He remained detained until February 3, 2026 when an immigration judge released him on bond, finding he posed no flight risk or danger. Despite the judge's determination, ICE placed Harrington on an ankle monitor and in intensive supervision, prompting his habeas petition challenging the conditions as violating his due process rights.

Habel Russbel Hinostroza Alarcon was re-detained on December 18, 2025, after being previously released on bond or conditional parole under immigration law. The federal court found that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated due process rights. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to detention and required the government to provide seven days' notice and a bond hearing before any future re-detention.

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.

Families of immigrants arrested in a federal ICE surge in Maine are struggling to find basic information about their detained relatives as the government rapidly transfers them to detention facilities across multiple states. Erik Orellana-Mejia was arrested at his worksite on January 20 and has since been transferred to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Missouri. ICE has been building out detention and deportation infrastructure in New England and across the country to support intensified enforcement operations.

Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of obstructing federal agents from arresting an undocumented immigrant. Dugan allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant leave her courtroom in April to avoid arrest by ICE agents waiting in the hallway. She was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge.

Babblejit Kaur, an Indian-origin woman who has lived in the United States since 1994, was detained by ICE agents while attending a biometric interview for her green card application at a USCIS office. She had no criminal record, was sponsored by her daughter who is a green card holder, and worked for decades as a restaurant businesswoman and store employee. The detention occurred amid increased scrutiny of Indian nationals under new H-1B visa vetting policies announced in 2025.

Walter Francisco Cerrato Cabrera, a 48-year-old Honduran deckhand who had worked on oyster boats for 20 years, drowned on December 18 while jumping into Bayou La Loutre to avoid U.S. Coast Guard agents who had stopped at the docks. Cerrato and a younger coworker jumped from their boat when agents approached, but Cerrato, who could not swim, drowned in the bayou. The incident occurred amid increased immigration enforcement operations in lower St. Bernard Parish.

Seven people detained by ICE at a California immigration detention center filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on November 12, describing severe medical neglect and inhumane conditions. One detainee, Fernando Viera Reyes, reports being denied medication and urgent treatment for likely prostate cancer while in custody.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 24-year-old Vanessa Parrazal on December 17 outside Pinehurst Elementary School in Salisbury, Maryland, moments after she dropped off her child. The arrest occurred in the 400 block of Pinehurst Avenue, near but not on school property. A witness reported the arrest involved physical force.

The ACLU of Minnesota and three law firms sued ICE, alleging agents routinely violated the constitutional rights of people observing and protesting ICE raids. Six named plaintiffs, including Susan Tincher who was arrested during a December 9 raid in north Minneapolis, reported being detained, threatened at gunpoint, pepper sprayed, and having their personal information tracked through law enforcement databases.

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.

ICE agents detained a pregnant woman at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, holding her face-down on the ground while handcuffed. Witnesses reported that she was pregnant and unable to breathe, with some bystanders throwing snowballs at the agents.

A confrontation occurred in south Minneapolis when dozens of residents gathered as ICE agents operated near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue. During the incident, federal agents used pepper spray and at least one Taser on observers as the crowd attempted to prevent the arrest of a woman reported to be pregnant. Local law enforcement responded to assist ICE agents in leaving the scene.

An ICE agent followed and detained a 50-year-old Indian immigrant woman while she was going to work in her neighborhood. The woman was handcuffed and placed in a squad car without explanation or indication of any crime committed. An ICE agent pointed a gun at her adult child who arrived with paperwork to assist the mother.

Six foreign nationals were arrested between November 2025 and January 2026 and charged with being inadmissible as persons present without admission in the United States. They were detained at the Adelanto Detention Center and Desert View Annex without individualized bond hearings. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring bond hearings within 7 days or immediate release.

Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen born in Maryland, was arrested by ICE on December 14, 2025, and transferred to Louisiana despite having valid birth certificates and other documentation proving her citizenship. ICE has disputed the authenticity of her documents and maintains she is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, while her attorneys have filed a habeas corpus petition and obtained a court order preventing her removal from the country pending adjudication.

Jesus Gutiérrez recounted to Reveal News an encounter where federal immigration agents used facial recognition technology called Mobile Fortify to scan his face, which brought up his name, date of birth, and immigration status. The agents detained him for about an hour before releasing him. Federal authorities have acknowledged using this facial recognition app across the country to verify citizenship and check for deportation orders.

A 20-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen was detained by ICE agents for approximately two hours in Minneapolis after being approached based on his Somali appearance. The agents apprehended him on a street near Cedar Avenue, placed him in a chokehold, and transported him to the Whipple Federal Building despite his repeated attempts to show his passport and ID. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara stated the incident constituted racial profiling and was unconstitutional, while ICE stated their actions were based on reasonable suspicion.

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.

David Cardenas, 54, a Raleigh resident who fled Nicaragua and sought asylum in 2022, was detained by ICE during a routine yearly check-in appointment with USCIS in Charlotte. He suffered a medical emergency shortly after detention and was hospitalized at Atrium Health in Pineville, where ICE and the hospital initially blocked visits from his wife and children for a week. Following advocacy efforts and a press conference by immigrant rights groups and local leaders, ICE announced it would release Cardenas due to his severe health condition, potentially using alternative detention such as an ankle monitor.

Martina Martin Garcia, a Guatemalan asylum seeker who fled to the U.S. in April 2024, was arrested on December 11, 2025, while attending a scheduled ICE check-in at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco. Garcia had been released on her own recognizance, complied with all supervision conditions, and had no criminal history. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring her immediate release, finding her detention likely violated her constitutional due process rights.

Mohan Karki, a 30-year-old refugee born in a Nepal refugee camp whose family fled persecution in Bhutan in the 1990s, faces deportation to Bhutan by the U.S. government despite having no passport or birth certificate from that country. He has been detained for over eight months pending removal proceedings stemming from a teenage burglary conviction. His attorneys have stated that deportation could result in statelessness, as Bhutanese authorities have previously denied entry to other deportees.

Jose Gomez and his 13-year-old son left their Eden Prairie apartment on a Thursday morning to move their car after a snowstorm. An unmarked SUV pulled up alongside them with police lights, and the father told his son to run as a second SUV arrived. The incident was reported by WCCO news.

A man who had lived in the U.S. for 27 years and worked with a company for 17 years was deported after his wife was pulled over for a broken headlight. He had paid taxes, owned a home, and raised American-born children. The deportation occurred despite his lack of criminal conduct.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a man after a judge had already granted him asylum. Sources characterize the detention as a violation of judicial authority and due process.

Viktoriia Bulavina, a Ukrainian woman with Temporary Protected Status, was detained for five days after being arrested during a green card interview at the USCIS San Diego Field Office on December 4, 2025. She spent three days in the downtown San Diego ICE facility where she reported harsh conditions including lack of sleep, inability to change clothes or shower, cold temperatures, expired food, and inadequate privacy. Her attorney stated she had complied with all immigration procedures and was renewing her TPS when detained; her TPS extension was approved the day she was released.

ICE agents arrested Mubashir, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen of Somali descent, in Minneapolis's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood during Operation Metro Surge. Video footage showed agents slamming him against a door, placing him in a chokehold, and detaining him despite him repeatedly stating he was a U.S. citizen with identification. He was released after approximately two hours when agents confirmed his citizenship status.

A 20-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen named Mubashir was detained by ICE agents in Minneapolis while on his lunch break. Agents forcibly removed him from a restaurant, handcuffed him, and initially refused to accept his U.S. passport and identification documents despite his attempts to present them. He was held for approximately two hours at a federal building before being released after presenting identification. Minneapolis city leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara, characterized the detention as wrongful and unconstitutional racial profiling, while ICE stated their actions were based on reasonable suspicion.

A U.S. citizen was detained by immigration agents in Robbinsdale on January 8. A relative livestreamed the encounter on Facebook. The individual was released from custody hours later.

ICE agents arrested Mubashir, a 20-year-old Somali American U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on his lunch break. Video footage documented agents slamming him against a door, placing him in a chokehold, and handcuffing him before detaining him for approximately two hours. Despite offering identification and having his citizenship verified, Mubashir alleged he was denied water and medical assistance during detention. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara stated the arrest was racially motivated, while Governor Tim Walz requested a DHS review of ICE arrests of U.S. citizens in the city.

Santiago Zamora Perez, a 17-year-old Detroit student at Western International High School, was arrested by ICE on Sunday after Fraser police pulled him over for driving under the speed limit and called federal agents. Zamora and his mother were detained; he is a Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. last year. At least four Detroit teens are currently held in ICE detention facilities.

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.

A Homeland Security agent confronting a man about his visa status was briefly taken in an SUV against his will on Wednesday in Plymouth, Minnesota. Two people were charged in federal court with interfering with DHS agents: Oluwadamilola Bamigboye, 24, a Nigerian national who overstayed his student visa, and Rekeya Frazier, 26. The incident began when agents approached Bamigboye outside an apartment complex, leading him to jump into Frazier's SUV and demand she drive away, resulting in a brief pursuit that ended near a New Hope police station.

On December 9, 2025, ICE agents conducted enforcement operations in Minneapolis that resulted in the detention of multiple U.S. citizens, including Sue Tincher, a 55-year-old citizen observer who was arrested while monitoring the activity, and a 20-year-old Somali man named Mubashir who was tackled by agents and detained despite displaying his passport. Tincher was handcuffed and held for over five hours before release, while Mubashir was detained at Fort Snelling federal building after agents allegedly failed to identify themselves. Local officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacoby Frey, questioned whether agents possessed proper judicial warrants. DHS disputed accounts of the detentions, claiming officers were investigating criminal immigration violations and that Mubashir resisted arrest.

Vilma Cruz, a 38-year-old Honduran national, was arrested by ICE agents in Kenner, Louisiana during an operation called "Catahoula Crunch." Her 18-year-old son, Jonathan Escalante, a U.S. citizen, is now the sole caregiver for his 9-year-old sister and worries about being detained himself despite being a citizen.

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used chemical irritant to disperse a crowd in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis during identification checks. The incident occurred on Tuesday. Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman, a Somali American, was present during the confrontation.

An ICE vehicle struck a protester in Minneapolis on December 9 as demonstrators heckled immigration enforcement agents. The incident was recorded on video. ICE agents also used pepper spray against the protesters.

Nimco Omar, a Somali-American U.S. citizen, confronted ICE agents conducting what she characterized as an illegal "citizen check" in Minneapolis. She repeatedly demanded identification and questioned their authority to ask about her birthplace, arguing the encounter constituted unconstitutional racial profiling and illegal demands to show papers to unidentified agents.

Jair Celis, a 29-year-old Utah father and soccer coach, was detained by ICE during his final green card interview despite being married to a U.S. citizen. The Department of Homeland Security posted on social media claiming Celis had a history of child sexual abuse, referencing sealed juvenile court records from when he was a minor. His attorneys plan to sue DHS for libel, arguing that juvenile cases are civil proceedings that cannot be used as convictions and should not be publicly disclosed.

Greggy Valerio Sorio, a 37-year-old Filipino green card holder, was removed from a deportation flight to Manila minutes before takeoff after Philippine Airlines medical staff intervened citing his deteriorating health condition. Sorio had been held in ICE custody since his March arrest and experienced severe abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding, and significant weight loss during his detention.

ICE agents raided a home in Burnsville, Minnesota on Saturday, arresting four people including a couple whose 7-year-old son was left in the care of another arrested man's pregnant wife. Ring camera footage shows agents detaining the couple as they arrived home from the grocery store. Family members inside the home alleged that ICE agents entered without presenting a warrant and pointed guns at residents, including a pregnant woman and children.

Immigrant families detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas describe prolonged stays, despondent children, limited access to potable water, and inadequate food in court declarations filed in December 2025. The families allege poor medical treatment, overcrowded conditions, and ICE agents offering financial incentives for voluntary departure. These accounts contrast sharply with ICE's assertions that the facility meets federal detention standards.

Lucy, a 3-year-old unaccompanied minor, was presented without legal representation before an immigration judge in Tucson, Arizona. According to reports, multiple unaccompanied immigrant minors are appearing in immigration court without legal representation or support due to federal budget cuts to organizations that previously provided assistance.

Kamel Maklad, a Syrian man who migrated through Venezuela, was released from Eloy Detention Center on December 9, 2025, after spending 14 months detained. He had won his immigration court case in November 2024 where he was granted withholding of removal. His release came after a federal judge granted a habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf.

Augsburg University president Paul Pribbenow stated that ICE agents illegally detained a student on campus without displaying a warrant. In response, the university plans to lock more buildings to prevent ICE agents from entering without proper legal documentation. Federal officials countered that university staff attempted to obstruct the arrest.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with Border Patrol and Florida Highway Patrol, conducted immigration enforcement operations in central Palm Beach County on December 8, 2025, including roadblocks and an attempted raid on a residential construction site. Activists estimate at least 50 people were detained during the sweeps, with children separated from apprehended parents. A 19-year-old U.S. citizen was wrongly detained but later released. Local officials stated the operations disrupted the community and economy.

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.

Vilma Cruz, a single mother from Kenner, Louisiana, was detained by ICE without a judicial warrant while preparing to move into her new home. Her whereabouts are unknown and her two U.S.-born children are without parental care at home.

ICE agents pinned a pregnant woman face-down and dragged her during an enforcement operation in South Minneapolis. Dozens of neighbors gathered at the scene and confronted the officers, pelting them with snowballs.