Human Impact Project

Hundreds of high school students organized a peaceful march from City Hall to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center on February 5, 2026 to protest ICE raids. LAPD in riot gear formed skirmish lines and charged at the students multiple times throughout the afternoon, resulting in at least two arrests. Officers were documented using force against minors, including throwing students to the ground and striking a protester with a baton, while ICE agents were observed coordinating with LAPD at the detention center.

Jose Leobardo Rivas-Gonzalez was detained by ICE on February 4, 2026, after a referral from the Stanislaus County Probation Department. He had previously turned himself into ICE in 2015 and was released on supervised recognizance, but was convicted of a crime in 2022 and violated supervision terms. The court granted his habeas petition and ordered his immediate release on the same conditions as before his re-detention.

Beth Jackson, a Twin Cities resident, was detained by federal officers and faced subsequent action after documenting ICE agents. The detention occurred while she was recording immigration enforcement activities.

Two Afghan brothers with pending asylum claims were detained by ICE during a routine check-in with the Alternatives to Detention unit on Tuesday morning. Mohammad Emran Kohistani and Mohammad Sajad Kohistani, who presented themselves at the U.S. border in 2023 and were released on their own recognizance, were told they were not "appropriately vetted" at the border. Their attorney filed an emergency habeas petition and temporary restraining order, with a federal court hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Federal ICE agents conducted arrests in downtown Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on February 4, 2026, targeting individuals in vehicles. Witnesses reported the arrests involved agents smashing windows and forcibly removing people from cars.

Martir Zambrano Diaz, a 50-year-old native of El Salvador, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026 during an enforcement sweep in Greenport. According to a federal habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf, he arrived in the United States in 2001 and has never been arrested or convicted of any crime, directly contradicting ICE's claims that he was previously removed in 1998 and reentered illegally. He had worked at Pindar Vineyards for 23 years, where he was known for his strong work ethic, kindness, and positive attitude. His detention left his family without their primary breadwinner. Community members and advocacy groups, including OLA of Eastern Long Island, launched fundraising campaigns and legal support efforts to assist his family.

Alexandro Rivera Magaña, a longtime Greenport resident and El Salvadoran national, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026 during an enforcement sweep in the area. He had worked at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic as a foreman since 2023 and was known for his leadership and work ethic. He is the primary breadwinner for his family, which includes a son with severe autism and a 5-year-old child. His detention left his wife and children facing immediate financial hardship, unable to pay for food and rent. The community organized fundraising campaigns to support his family while legal advocates began assessing his case.

Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, a Guatemalan immigrant who lived in Greenport for over 20 years with no criminal background, was detained by ICE agents on February 4, 2026 at approximately 6:30 a.m. while on his way to work at the North Ferry terminal to catch a boat to Shelter Island. He worked as a driver and construction worker for Marcello Masonry for approximately 20 years. As the primary breadwinner, his wife and newborn daughter were left without financial support, unable to pay for groceries and rent. Community members and OLA of Eastern Long Island organized fundraising efforts to assist his family while legal advocates assessed his case.

Francisco Benjamin Sanchez Obregon was initially apprehended at the border on September 22, 2022, then paroled the next day until November 2022. Over three years later, he was arrested on February 4, 2026, and detained pending removal proceedings. The court found he had a protected liberty interest from his initial parole and ordered his immediate release due to lack of due process.

Melissa Tran, a Maryland mother of four and former health care worker, was shackled at her wrists, waist, and ankles without food or water for over 10 hours before takeoff on an ICE deportation flight operated by Omni Air International. She remained shackled for approximately 80 hours total across a multi-day journey to Hanoi, Vietnam. Her wrists became dented and red from the restraints. She reported soiling herself during the flight and described feeling like she was less than an animal.

Cristian, a Colombian immigrant with an asylum claim, was detained by ICE agents on February 4 while heading to a new job in St. Paul. He was transferred to detention centers in Texas and Louisiana before self-deporting to Colombia. His wife Alejandra was left as the sole provider for their two young sons and is now trying to save money for plane tickets to return to Colombia, saying their experience made clear they are not welcomed in the United States.

A Houston-area high school student was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Students at the school held a rally in response to the student's detention. ICE subsequently released a statement regarding the incident.

Julien Pereira, a 26-year-old French tennis coach, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol and ICE after being denied entry to Canada while awaiting work visa paperwork. He spent a month in an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, where he experienced shackling, inadequate food and water, and harsh conditions before being released on bail and ordered to leave the U.S. within 15 days.

Ivan Garcia, a father and North Venice Little League community member, was detained by ICE while attending a scheduled immigration appointment related to his citizenship case. He was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover legal fees and living expenses, with community support from the local youth sports league.

Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were following their vehicles in south Minneapolis on Tuesday. At least one person wearing anti-ICE clothing was handcuffed face-down on the ground.

Federal immigration agents detained Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, Martin Zambrano Diaz, and Alexandro Rivera Magana in Greenport on Wednesday morning, while a fourth man fled on foot during a separate operation on Ludlum Place. According to community advocates, the three detained men have lived in the area for over 20 years with no criminal backgrounds. The operations prompted school absences throughout the district as families responded to ICE presence in the community.

A woman reported that ICE agents attempted to kidnap her twin brother, a Black American man, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. According to the account, agents rammed into his pickup truck and chased him without apparent reason. The family is seeking public awareness of the incident.

Ta Eh Doh Lah, a Burmese refugee mother of four lawfully admitted to the U.S. in November 2024, was arrested by ICE agents at her St. Paul apartment on January 10, 2026, while breastfeeding her five-month-old baby. The arrest occurred one day after USCIS announced Operation PARRIS to re-examine refugee cases. She was immediately transferred to Texas despite having a pending adjustment of status application and no criminal record. Ta Eh Doh Lah has congenital heart disease requiring expert medical care. A federal magistrate judge found her detention was not authorized under federal law and recommended her release. The federal court ordered her immediate transfer back to Minnesota and release, and blocked Operation PARRIS across Minnesota, preventing the arrest or detention of refugees solely because they are awaiting status adjustment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 206 undocumented immigrants in Maine during a multiday operation in January 2026. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, only 6% of those arrested had criminal convictions, while 80% had neither criminal charges nor convictions. Maine Public is tracking several cases using interviews, court records, and reporting from other media outlets. Since the operation, 37 of those arrested have been deported or voluntarily left the country.

A Natalia high school junior attended what was supposed to be a routine U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in appointment in San Antonio to update his photograph. The appointment resulted in his arrest and detainment, leaving a toddler and stepfather behind for months.

Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student, and her mother were released from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas after nearly a month in ICE detention. The child and her mother were taken by immigration agents in early January. School officials and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called for their release at a news conference on February 3, 2026.

Ismael Avalos, owner of Viper Auto Body in West Valley City, and his employee Wilmer Menjivar were detained by CBP agents during a forced entry on January 31, 2026. Menjivar, a Salvadoran national with no criminal record, believed he was being followed by unmarked vehicles as he arrived at work, ran into the shop, and locked the door behind him. Agents then broke through the locked glass door, entered the business, and detained both men. Menjivar's wife, Lilly, confronted agents and asked for a warrant; an agent responded that one was not needed. An immigration attorney stated the circumstances raise serious Fourth Amendment concerns, as agents lacked a judicial warrant and no legal exceptions for warrantless entry appeared to apply. Menjivar's family believes the men were profiled based on appearance and ethnicity. Community activists later protested the arrests.

Martin Soto, a 30-year-old Peruvian national, was detained by ICE on Monday night while returning home from a store where he had gone to buy diapers for his infant son in Kearny, New Jersey. Soto, who entered the U.S. in late 2023 and has lived in the country for two years with no criminal record, was held at Delaney Hall in Newark. His wife Gabriela, a U.S. citizen, said ICE officials cited his undocumented immigration status as the reason for his detention, though Soto had been waiting nearly two years for a court hearing scheduled for 2028. The family now faces financial hardship as Soto was the primary breadwinner working full-time in a restaurant kitchen.

Following ICE activity near schools in other cities, Springfield, Ohio families—including U.S. citizens—are keeping children home from school due to fears of enforcement actions near school grounds. The Department of Homeland Security rescinded a policy limiting operations near schools in 2025, and reports document parents being detained at bus stops and agents operating on school grounds adjacent to buildings.

An attorney stated that ICE arrested a mother. The attorney noted that ICE enforcement priorities differ from focusing on individuals with criminal records.

Steven Saari, a Marine Corps veteran, was detained by federal immigration agents at the scene of Alex Pretti's killing in Minneapolis on February 3, 2026. During his six-hour detention at a federal building, agents collected his biometric data, forced a DNA sample, and copied his cell phone without a warrant or authorization. Saari was denied access to an attorney despite repeated requests and was released without charges.

Federal immigration agents arrested Carlos Chavez, a community member and father of three, during a food distribution event at North Hills United Methodist Church in the San Fernando Valley. Church leaders say Chavez was helping with children's ministries and was chased across the parking lot by armed agents in masks. Following the incident, the church moved its food ministry and after-school programs online.

Federal immigration agents detained an employee at NATIFS, an Indigenous-focused nonprofit restaurant in Minneapolis owned by chef Sean Sherman, outside the restaurant on February 2, 2026. Agents blocked a vehicle carrying staff members, pulled the employee from the car at gunpoint, and stated they were checking paperwork. The employee was transferred to Texas overnight without access to needed medication and without the family being notified in advance. Chef Sherman stated the employee had legal documentation and characterized the armed enforcement as inappropriate.

An Instagram post announces a protest planned for the following day at 1930 Beach Street at noon in response to Gonzales v Noem allegations. The post states that federal authorities are charging people for protesting.

Oscar Isidro, a U.S. citizen from North Texas, was found dead last month after being missing for two weeks. His death came amid family trauma, including his father's deportation to Peru the previous year and his sister's detention by ICE.

ICE agents smashed the windows of a car and arrested a man without a warrant while his wife held their crying baby and pleaded with the agents. During the arrest, the man briefly escaped from the ICE van while still wearing handcuffs.

Jinlong Wang, a Chinese national, was re-detained by ICE on February 2, 2026, after previously being released on supervised release in October 2023 following a removal order. Wang had complied with all terms of his supervised release. The court granted his motion for preliminary injunction and ordered his immediate release on the same conditions as his prior supervised release.

Medina, an asylum applicant with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE on February 2, 2026, after appearing at a scheduled court date in San Diego. He was transferred to Otay Mesa Detention Center and is scheduled to remain detained at least until his next court date on February 24. Medina has lived in the United States since adolescence, is married to a U.S. citizen, and has two U.S. citizen children. His detention has caused financial hardship for his family, who lost his primary income.

A 19-year-old anti-ICE protester was sprayed with chemical agent by a federal officer during a protest in Portland. The protester was vocal but nonviolent and standing still when sprayed. Video evidence documents the incident.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several residents in Hudson County, New Jersey on Sunday using unmarked vehicles. An ICE agent told a city councilman that warrants are not needed to conduct their operations. Local officials reported that ICE arrested at least three people, including two workers at local businesses, without advance notification to local police.

Federal ICE agents were present outside the Ventura County Sheriff's Office on Monday, February 2, 2026, where protesters and observers had gathered. During the encounter, an ICE agent threw a woman to the ground and subsequently used pepper spray on the crowd. Witnesses stated they were documenting the ICE operation and posed no physical threat to officers. At least one person was detained during the incident. The woman who was thrown to the ground declined to speak about what happened.

ICE agents conducted enforcement operations at Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station in Jersey City Heights and Hoboken on Sunday morning, detaining several people. An ICE officer was recorded telling a city councilman he did not need a warrant to make arrests. The incident prompted community meetings and responses from local leaders.

Jhony Gonzalez Merino, a Mexican national from the Triqui Indigenous group, was arrested by ICE agents in Anchorage in February 2026 after dropping off his son at school. He had applied for asylum. After initial detention at the Anchorage jail, Gonzalez Merino was transferred to the federal immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington, where he remains.

Amalia, a 1-year-old, and her parents including mother Kheilin Valero Marcano were detained at Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Amalia developed a fever and grew lethargic. Her parents returned to the facility's medical clinic repeatedly but were only given Tylenol and warned not to complain. When Amalia lost consciousness, her mother asked clinic employees if they would let her die. Amalia spent more than a week in an outside hospital after her oxygen levels dropped to dangerously low levels, diagnosed with COVID-19, an ear infection, pneumonia, bronchitis, and RSV. The family was released in February 2026 after two months at Dilley.

Jose Lozano, a 28-year-old Worthington resident with a valid temporary permit allowing him to remain in the U.S. for five years, was detained by ICE agents on February 1, 2026, while attempting to jumpstart his minivan. Lozano, who arrived from El Salvador as an asylum seeker ten years ago, was working as a mechanic and attending college when detained. He was being held in a Minneapolis detention center with a hearing scheduled for February 28, 2026, though an earlier bond hearing was possible.

Federal ICE agents made arrests near the Jersey City-Hoboken border on Sunday morning without advance warning to local police. Multiple detentions occurred at the 9th Street Light Rail Station in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, with at least two people seen being taken into unmarked vehicles. Local officials stated that residents have rights, including the right to refuse entry without a judge-signed warrant.

Johanny Lacruz, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and fiancée of Juan Rodriguez, was detained by ICE at a Border Patrol checkpoint in February 2026 despite having valid work authorization and no criminal record. Rodriguez observed that U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz secured the release of Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, a teenager in the same detention facility with similar legal status, but was unable to obtain similar assistance for his fiancée. Both Lacruz and Gámez-Cuéllar were detained during the Trump administration's deportation operations.

According to Senator John Hickenlooper and other Colorado lawmakers, ICE agents left ace of spades cards—symbols historically used by white supremacist groups—in vehicles of up to 11 detainees after a January 21 enforcement action in Eagle County. Hickenlooper demanded a Department of Homeland Security meeting after ICE failed to respond to requests for information about the incident, including details on those detained and the status of an internal investigation.

At least two confirmed cases of measles have been reported at the Dilley family detention center in Texas, which houses children and parents in immigration detention. A broader measles outbreak is occurring across the U.S. Democratic congressman Joaquin Castro called for the facility to be shut down immediately, citing detention centers as potential vectors for disease transmission.

An advocacy post calls for the release of Diana Crespo-Gonzalez from immigration detention, urging people to contact DHS at 202-282-8485. The post references a previous case where 180,000 calls led to the release of someone named Liam, and directs followers to an OPB news article for more details about Diana's situation.

Harold, a 58-year-old Cuban national, was deported to Mexico in February 2026 as part of the third-country deportation program. He finds himself unable to work due to lack of documentation, unable to afford food and rent, and without clear prospects for legal status or support.

Lázara Santana, 57, migrated to the United States from Cuba at age 11. She lost her refugee status 20 years ago for selling drugs. For two decades she checked in annually with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under parole conditions and held work permits while raising her son, a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan and voted for Trump. In fall 2025, ICE took her into custody at a check-in and deported her to Mexico, where she was given the choice of Congo or Mexico. She now rents a shared room with money sent by her partner and fears leaving her house.

Mauricio De Leon, 50, was born in Guatemala and taken to the United States by his mother at age one. He grew up in the foster system in Long Beach after his mother lost custody. Given a deportation order in 2007 after serving time for drug trafficking, he was deported to Mexico last year. Mexico attempted to return him to Guatemala, but Guatemala said it had no record of him, leaving him essentially stateless. He survives on savings from his work as a truck driver in California.

Ricardo del Pino Olivera, 67, was deported from the United States to Mexico on July 3, 2025 after serving a 17-year sentence. He applied for refugee status on July 31 but struggled to find formal employment or access services. After the Amparito shelter in Villahermosa advocated on his behalf, he received some medical treatment but was repeatedly hospitalized beginning December 12. He was severely malnourished and remained without legal documentation. Ricardo died on February 21, 2026. His death certificate listed his nationality as "unknown."

Luis René Lemus, 59, a Cuban with Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia, was deported to Mexico where he has struggled to procure needed medication. He is among elderly and infirm Cubans sent to Villahermosa under the third-country deportation program.