Human Impact Project

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Victor Peralta Perez, a Venezuelan electrician with a pending asylum case and no criminal record, was detained by ICE on December 4, 2025, during a mandatory annual immigration check-in. He was transferred multiple times between detention facilities including Bluebonnet, Eden, Fort Bliss, and Florence over nearly three months. Peralta Perez reported poor detention conditions including mold, contaminated food and water, and lack of medical care. He was granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge on February 12, 2026, and left the United States on February 28, 2026 (according to DHS) or March 3, 2026 (according to his wife), citing inability to endure the detention conditions and uncertain timeline.

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.

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.

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.

Gennady Sorochkin, a Ukrainian immigrant who has been on supervised release since 2001, was re-detained by ICE on December 2, 2025, during a routine check-in. He had been living in Santa Monica with his sister for 25 years without violations after Ukraine refused to accept him as a citizen. The court ordered his immediate release, finding no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Angel, a Nicaraguan political activist and LGBTQ community member who fled Nicaragua in 2019 after nearly being killed by the government, was detained by ICE in late December 2025 while driving to work. He holds official work authorization from USCIS. He is being held in ICE custody and facing removal proceedings while seeking funds for legal representation in a habeas petition to challenge his detention.

A dairy farm worker in New York's North Country was detained by Border Patrol. His girlfriend, Myrna Romero, spoke about the impact of the detention on their family, expressing concerns about freedom and safety in the country.

Diana Sanchez, a Stockton-area resident with pending asylum and U-visa applications, was detained by ICE officers at a check-in appointment in mid-December 2025 at Otay Mesa Detention Center. During her nearly four-month detention, she witnessed multiple medical emergencies including strokes and fainting, reported inadequate medical response and poor food quality, and experienced retaliation from guards after filing grievances about treatment. A federal judge ruled in her favor in April 2026, finding ICE lacked authority to detain her, and she was released.

Viktoriia Bulavina, a Ukrainian who entered the United States as a refugee in 2022 and obtained a Green Card, was arrested by ICE in December 2025 during immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration's policy targeting permanent residents.

Charles Wongso, a member of the South Philadelphia Indonesian community, was detained by ICE in December 2025. His children, Jacqueline and Johnson, have been fighting to have his case reopened, but ICE is proceeding with deportation without following proper due process procedures. Asian Americans United is raising funds to support the family's legal efforts.

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.

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.