Human Impact Project

Four Cuban immigrants held at Fort Bliss detention center claim they were among dozens driven to the Mexican border and pressured by masked officials to cross into Mexico or face imprisonment and beatings. Civil liberties groups sent a letter to ICE documenting allegations of abuse related to attempted third-country deportations at the detention center.

The ACLU and human rights organizations released reports on 12/8/2025 documenting conditions at Fort Bliss, the largest immigration detention site in the U.S., specifically at Camp East Montana, a tent facility in El Paso. Based on interviews with over 45 detained immigrants and 16 sworn declarations, the reports detail physical abuse, sexual abuse by officers, medical neglect, and coercive deportations to third countries. Specific cases cited include a teenager beaten into unconsciousness and another who sustained a broken tooth and ear damage, a Cuban immigrant whose head was slammed against a wall, and Geraldo Lunas Campos, whose death in ICE custody at a nearby facility was ruled a homicide following reports an officer choked him.

The ACLU documented more than a dozen cases of pregnant women detained without proper medical care at immigration facilities, violating ICE policy that prohibits detaining pregnant women for administrative violations. Cases include women shackled during miscarriages, denied prenatal care, and held in solitary confinement. The article highlights the case of Lorena Pineda, a Salvadoran woman who was detained while five months pregnant and held for 3.5 months in Louisiana facilities before being ordered to self-deport.

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.

ICE agents engaged in an hours-long standoff with a man who barricaded himself in a second-floor apartment unit in Elgin on Saturday. Federal agents deployed tear gas canisters and flash-bang grenades while protesters gathered to provide supplies to the man on the balcony. One person was detained around 3 p.m. after agents breached the building. Community members clashed with agents. State officials made statements regarding the incident.

A woman's security camera captured federal ICE agents chasing her home in Louisiana. She says she ran away from the agents after telling them she was a US-born citizen. CNN's Victor Blackwell interviewed the woman about the incident.

Jacelynn Guzman, a 23-year-old U.S.-born citizen, was chased by masked Border Patrol agents to her home in Marrero, Louisiana while walking from a corner store. The agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation but mistakenly pursued Guzman, who was not the intended target. The agents stopped at the property line and left after the altercation.

Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona stated she was pepper-sprayed and pushed by ICE agents during a raid at a Tucson restaurant on Friday. The congresswoman identified herself as a member of Congress and stated she witnessed others being sprayed, including press and staff members. The Department of Homeland Security stated she was in the vicinity of another person being pepper-sprayed.

ICE detained a mother with a pending asylum petition and visa for crime victims days after she had an emergency C-section, leaving her newborn alone in a NICU on a ventilator. She was held at Broadview Processing Center where she was denied postpartum medical care, a breast pump, adequate food and water, and received minimal care despite agents knowing she had recently given birth.

Don Lupe, who had lived in the U.S. for 27 years after migrating from Puebla, Mexico, was detained by ICE agents during a worksite raid in New Jersey. He described detention center conditions as isolating and abusive, designed to encourage self-deportation. His family mobilized support and with legal assistance, Don Lupe received a hearing where a judge granted bail and set bond at $7,500.

Jose Paniagua Calderón was detained in front of a Mexican restaurant on East 4th Plain Boulevard in Vancouver, Washington. Videos on social media show him screaming in pain as a silver-colored SUV drives over his legs during the detention. ICE denies that its agents ran over Paniagua's legs, while his family alleges ICE agents denied him medical care and forced him into their vehicle. He is reportedly being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

Omar Ramos Jimenez, 50, a Mexican national who has lived in Rochester since 2004 and co-founded the La Casa restaurant, was detained by ICE on Wednesday after being lured to their Buffalo field office under the pretext of installing a new reporting app. Ramos Jimenez, who has an ongoing appeal for asylum and has been complying with ICE check-ins for five years, was arrested upon arrival. His attorney filed a federal complaint alleging denial of due process and seeking his immediate release or a bond hearing.

Federal ICE agents pepper-sprayed and fired crowd suppression munitions at newly sworn-in Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva during a confrontation with protesters outside a taco restaurant in Tucson. Video evidence shows agents spraying Grijalva and others with pepper spray and firing pepper balls, which the Department of Homeland Security denied occurred. The incident occurred during an operation targeting the restaurant as part of a human trafficking investigation, with heavily armed agents deploying flash-bang grenades, tear gas, and pepper-ball rounds at immigrant rights protesters.

Jose Argueta, a 37-year-old Maryland resident, was detained by ICE for approximately one month after D.C. police called him to pick up his recovered stolen vehicle at the Fifth District police station. According to his attorney, D.C. police coordinated with federal immigration agents to lure Argueta into custody, which violates the city's Sanctuary Values Act. The incident is under investigation by both D.C. police internal affairs and the Office of Police Complaints.

Immigration agents took a cash box from a taco stand in La Puente after arresting four people at the location, according to a witness account. The incident involved the confiscation of the business's cash box during the enforcement action.

Stephanie Velasquez, a Venezuelan woman seeking asylum, was detained by ICE on December 5th, 2025 during one of her appointments. She was married to a U.S. citizen at the time of her detention.

Jose Paniagua Calderón stated his legs were run over by an ICE vehicle while being detained in Vancouver, Washington on December 4, 2025. Video evidence circulated on social media appeared to show the incident. ICE stated medical evaluations showed no injuries. The Vancouver Police Department and U.S. Senator Patty Murray initiated investigations into the incident.

Viktoriia Bulavina, a 46-year-old Ukrainian woman with Temporary Protected Status, was detained by ICE agents at a USCIS green card interview in San Diego on December 4, 2025. Her husband stated she had always maintained legal status. DHS stated her TPS had expired on April 19, 2025. Her attorneys argue the status remains valid while an extension is pending. Bulavina entered the U.S. under the "Uniting for Ukraine" program in 2022 and married a U.S. citizen in November 2024 before filing her green card application.

ICE arrested and deported Francisco Paredes, a 46-year-old maintenance worker at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota on December 4, 2025. Five weeks later, ICE agents surveilled the church during a Spanish-language Mass on January 4, 2026. Church attendance decreased following the surveillance. Church leadership and local officials stated that ICE's presence outside the church violated parishioners' constitutional right to free exercise of religion.

Sophie Watso, a Dakota woman, was detained for more than 48 hours at Fort Snelling after encountering ICE officers while driving in Minneapolis. When she blew a whistle to alert others to federal presence, officers accused her of interference, broke her car window, and forcibly removed her from the vehicle. Fort Snelling is the same site where Dakota ancestors were imprisoned after the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War.

ICE detained a critically ill man who was traveling to receive medical treatment. Williams Javier Toro Enamorado, a 27-year-old Honduran man with end-stage kidney disease, was detained by ICE agents on November 19 while traveling to a dialysis appointment during an operation called "Charlotte's Web." He claims he was denied dialysis treatment and pressured to sign a voluntary deportation order, with officers allegedly telling him "If you want to leave, sign. If not, you're going to die here." He is being held at an ICE detention center in Folkston, Georgia, over 360 miles from his family in North Carolina.

ICE agents arrested Julio, a man with end-stage kidney failure requiring regular dialysis, as he returned home from a medical appointment. He was held in detention facilities and denied appropriate medical care, eventually suffering a severe stroke while hospitalized under ICE surveillance. His family, all U.S. citizens including a military servicemember, advocated for his release but ICE refused despite his critical medical needs.

Omar, a father, business owner, and community leader in Rochester, was detained during an ICE check-in appointment. Community members have called for his release.

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.

Federal ICE agents arrested a U.S. citizen Somali woman born in Edina near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday. According to her cousin, agents zip-tied her, mocked her hijab, and touched her inappropriately before taking her to Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. She was released Thursday after more than 24 hours in custody once her husband provided her passport card proving her citizenship.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained an American citizen woman during an immigration enforcement traffic stop near mile marker 103 in Key Largo on Wednesday morning. Video footage shows agents forcefully removing the woman from her vehicle, wrestling her to the ground, and handcuffing her after discovering her boyfriend was in the country illegally. The woman, who was wearing medical scrubs, was released approximately 10 minutes later after agents verified her U.S. citizenship through her driver's license. The operation resulted in 14 undocumented immigrants being arrested for deportation proceedings. The incident was recorded by a Miami Herald reporter.

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.

Viktoriia, a Ukrainian woman married to a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE on December 4, 2025, immediately after completing a marriage-based Green Card interview at the USCIS San Diego Field Office. She had been living legally in the U.S. under the Uniting for Ukraine program and had no criminal history. ICE cited that her Temporary Protected Status was not current, though she had applied to renew during the designated renewal period in January and the case was pending. Igor Babkin, a 33-year-old Russian asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally through parole and was following all required procedures, was arrested by ICE on February 3, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment. Babkin had fled Russia, been detained by Mexican security forces, and entered the U.S. under Biden-era parole to pursue his asylum claim. He has been held at a privately operated ICE detention facility in Pearsall while his attorney argues the detention violates due process and is purely punitive.

Narcisa Andundia-Carillo, an asylum seeker from Ecuador who fled extortion and death threats, was detained by ICE on December 3, 2025 during a routine check-in at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco. Despite having no criminal record and consistently appearing for immigration hearings, ICE alleged she missed a July 23, 2025 check-in that was not visible on her application. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring her immediate release and prohibiting re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing.

In December 2025, 250 Border Patrol agents were deployed to New Orleans as part of Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month crackdown aimed at making 5,000 arrests. The deployment prompted widespread community organizing and the formation of Ojos, an ICE-watch group that trained residents to document and report agent activity through a coordinated WhatsApp network, enabling undocumented residents to make informed decisions about movement.

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.

Federal immigration agents stopped a woman driving in Key Largo and forcibly removed her from her vehicle despite her stating she was a U.S. citizen. After agents pulled her from the car and handcuffed her, they found her driver's license in the vehicle and confirmed through their system that she is a U.S. citizen. She was released shortly after.

A 23-year-old U.S. citizen mother was chased by Border Patrol agents near her home in Marrero while walking from a store on Wednesday. The encounter was captured on video and occurred during an enforcement operation called "Catahoula Crunch" in the New Orleans area. The woman told agents twice that she was an American citizen before running into her parents' home, where agents stood outside for several minutes.

Associate pastor Ruzana Nehonde, 49, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in at the Burlington field office in November 2025 and transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana facing deportation to Zimbabwe. Despite having no criminal record, an adult son with U.S. citizenship, a pending green card application, and nearly three decades of residence in Massachusetts with a history of ICE compliance, she was taken into custody. Her church community in Stow has rallied to support her and is collecting donations to help cover household expenses.

Francisco Gaspar Cristóbal Andrés, a 48-year-old who worked in the U.S. for 20 years, died on December 3rd, 2025 after being detained by ICE for 93 days. His wife Lucía Pedro Juan was deported while Francisco was detained, and they were separated by ICE officials despite her pleas to see him. The post references allegations of mistreatment during detention.

Angelica Martinez Chavelas, a Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in 2015 and was released on parole under the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), was re-detained by immigration officials on December 2, 2025, after missing mandatory check-ins. She had voluntarily presented herself at an ISAP appointment when she was taken back into custody. The court ordered her immediate release, finding the re-detention violated due process because she was not provided notice or a hearing before being detained.

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 man being chased by ICE agents in St Paul, Minnesota was struck by their vehicle. Witnesses reported that medics transported the man on a stretcher with his face and body covered, though police claimed he was still alive. The incident status was described as developing.

ICE agents stopped a U.S. citizen, smashed her car window, and forcibly removed her from the vehicle despite her having a valid passport. The agents read her passport, determined she was a citizen, and left the scene. The incident was witnessed by the woman's child who called 911 during the encounter.

Faith leaders in New York are calling for the release of Allan Dabrio, a gay asylum seeker who was detained by ICE during a green card interview. Advocates report that ICE has not provided Dabrio with prescribed medication for anxiety and depression while he has been in detention.

Kevin Ntabo, a Kenyan-born father of four living in Washington state, was detained by ICE at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December 2025 after returning from Kenya where he attended his father's funeral. Officials flagged his immigration status as irregular upon arrival. He is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, awaiting a court hearing scheduled for March 17, 2026, that will determine whether he will be deported or allowed to remain in the United States with his family. Humberto Martinez was deported by ICE to Mexico while his daughter Jessica Martinez, a U.S. Navy sailor, was deployed to the Middle East. Jessica learned of her father's deportation while already overseas in Tijuana. The family was separated by the two simultaneous government actions, leaving Jessica's sister to manage the household while their father remained in Mexico awaiting return to the United States. Patricia Balbuena Soto, a New Jersey resident who had lived in the United States for approximately 30 years since age 19, was arrested on July 24, 2025, by Atlantic City Police on charges including criminal mischief and property damage. She was transferred to ICE custody on July 25, 2025. According to DHS, Balbuena Soto had been previously removed from the country four times and illegally reentered a fifth time, which constituted a felony. She was deported to Mexico on August 5, 2025, leaving behind her teenage daughter and other family members in the United States.

A second-grade student in Vermont was detained by ICE during the Thanksgiving holiday period. The incident involved the detention of a minor by immigration enforcement authorities.

Juan Chavez Velasco, a 35-year-old DACA recipient and medical laboratory scientist, was arrested by ICE agents while driving to visit his premature newborn daughter in intensive care on February 18, 2025. Despite having active DACA status at the time of arrest and no criminal history, ICE agents detained him at Webb County Detention Center. His DACA status expired while in detention, and he was separated from his newborn and hospitalized wife.

Two protesters were charged with felony assault after blocking an ICE operation in lower Manhattan on Canal Street. The protesters formed a human chain and used garbage cans and planters to prevent ICE agents from leaving a garage. A total of 18 people were arrested during the chaotic protest, with two facing felony charges for injuring officers.

Carlos, a Venezuelan national with temporary protected status, was lured to an ICE office in New Mexico under the pretense of discussing reunification with his two children who had been in federal shelter for nearly a year. Upon arrival, ICE officers detained him, stripped his clothes, seized his belongings, and chained him. His children remain in government custody while his reunification case is on hold. The incident is part of a broader Trump administration initiative using migrant children to arrest their parents or caregivers.

A man with temporary protected status arrived at an ICE office in New Mexico in December after being told his case for custody of his children was complete. Officers detained him, forcing him to remove his clothing and chaining him by the neck, waist, and legs after he refused to sign documents he did not understand. His two children, ages 14 and 16, had been in a federal shelter in Texas for nearly a year after crossing the border to reunite with him.

From November 26 through December 1, 2025, ICE and HSI stopped and questioned approximately 25 people during Thanksgiving week, detaining at least 15 of them. Operations occurred across multiple Southern California locations including the San Fernando Valley, San Bernardino area, San Diego, and Orange County. At least two people were confirmed detained on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Babblejit Kaur, a 60-year-old Indian-origin restaurateur, was detained by ICE on December 1 while attending what she believed was a routine biometrics appointment for her approved green card application at a USCIS facility. Kaur, who has lived in the United States since 1994 and has no criminal record, was placed in custody despite her green card petition being approved through sponsorship by her U.S. citizen daughter and son-in-law. She was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville, California, where she remained detained as of December 15. No official reason for her detention was provided by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security.

Elias Perez-Zuazo, a Panamanian national, was detained by ICE in December during a scheduled check-in appointment at a Chantilly, Virginia office that he had previously attended without incident. His U.S. citizen husband, Jonathan Blanco Gallegos, says they were in the process of applying for a green card when Perez-Zuazo was taken into custody without warning. A federal judge has issued an order barring ICE from removing him from the judicial district while the court reviews the legality of his detention.