Human Impact Project

Pedro Gutierrez, 43, a Durango resident for 22 years, was arrested by ICE agents on New Year's Eve while driving home from the gym. He was pulled over blocks from his home and taken into custody at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora. Protesters gathered at the ICE field office in Durango following another detention in Mancos on Friday, and federal agents used pepper spray against demonstrators.

A Houston man who is a third-generation U.S. citizen says he was stopped by ICE agents on January 1 while driving to work near Veterans Memorial Drive and Beltway 8. The man, David Flores, believes he was racially profiled based on his work truck and was surrounded by eight ICE agents in multiple vehicles. After showing his passport and refusing to provide his Social Security number, the agents left abruptly when Flores began recording the encounter.

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias were detained by ICE in January while returning from preschool. After nearly two weeks in a Texas detention center, they were released following a federal judge's order. The parents report the child is now traumatized and regularly sees a psychologist. The family is seeking asylum, though an immigration judge terminated their claim, which their lawyer has appealed.

Sixteen-year-old Sebastian, an asylum-seeker from Ecuador, was detained by ICE in Minneapolis in early January while driving alone. He was sent to a Christian youth shelter in Michigan operated by Bethany Christian Services rather than a standard detention center. Federal authorities lost track of his whereabouts for over a week while his family searched for him. His attorney had to conduct investigative work to locate him and secure his release.

Oudone Lothirath, a 57-year-old Laotian refugee with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma, was detained by ICE in January 2026 during an enforcement surge in Minnesota and transferred to a facility in El Paso, Texas. While in custody for 10 days, he missed multiple chemotherapy sessions and received no medical care for his cancer, diabetes, and heart condition. After his release, his cancer had spread to his bone marrow and he was too weak to resume treatment; he is now receiving hospice care with a prognosis of six to nine months.

Dmitry K., a Ukrainian national admitted under the Uniting for Ukraine program, was detained by ICE on January 1, 2026, despite lawful entry, a pending re-parole application, no criminal history, and serious medical conditions. His detention separated him from his wife and young daughter in Minneapolis, leaving his family without income or clear resources.

Activists point to fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis and two killings in San Diego under CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott's watch. The incidents share similarities including victims' positions when attacked, officials' claims of aggression later questioned, and CBP's involvement in evidence handling. Activists note patterns they have identified in federal law enforcement investigations.

Jose Sanchez was detained by ICE in November 2025 and deported to Mexico despite having a pending citizenship case. He died in January 2026 while attempting to cross the Rio Grande to return to his family in San Antonio. His partner, Tiffany Barrera, is a U.S. citizen and mother of five.

The Trump administration has virtually stopped releasing undocumented children in federal custody to their parents and relatives, according to government sources and immigration attorneys. Starting in early November, the Office of Refugee Resettlement began issuing verbal orders to staff to halt child releases to sponsors, even those who had passed vetting requirements. The government released approximately four children per day in October but only four total children over the following six weeks.

Five-year-old Liam Ramos was detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center near San Antonio after ICE arrested him and his father in Minneapolis. The facility documents conditions including medical care, sanitation, and sleep arrangements for children. The facility, which was closed under Biden but reopened by Trump, currently houses between 900 and 1,400 people including infants and pregnant women.