Human Impact Project

Since January 2025, ICE has detained at least 500 babies and toddlers, with an average of 25 children aged 3 or younger held in custody daily between January and March 2026—a tenfold increase compared to fewer than three young children detained daily during the previous 12 months under Biden. At least 175 infants and toddlers were held beyond the court-mandated 20-day limit established in the Flores v. Reno settlement. Children at facilities including the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas experienced developmental delays, malnutrition, untreated illnesses, and behavioral regression. Medical professionals reported that large numbers of children in detention settings are vulnerable to fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, and coughing, with inadequate medical care provided.

Ryan Amilkar Perez Bello, a Guatemalan national, entered the United States on December 5, 2022. He was issued a Notice to Appear for removal proceedings and released on his own recognizance on March 2, 2023. On March 31, 2026, Perez Bello was re-detained by ICE when he reported for an appointment at Mesa Verda Detention Center. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his detention, arguing that his prior release created a liberty interest in continued release and that his re-detention violated due process. On April 22, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted his habeas petition and ordered his immediate release on the same conditions as his prior release. The court also enjoined ICE from re-detaining him absent exigent circumstances without providing notice and a pre-detention hearing before an immigration judge, with the government bearing the burden of proving he is a danger or flight risk by clear and convincing evidence.

Jose Augusto Grajedo Donis, a Guatemalan national who entered the United States in 2008 at age 15, was taken into immigration custody on March 31, 2026. An immigration judge entered an Order of Removal on May 18, 2026, which Donis appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his continued detention as unlawful and unconstitutional, alleging inadequate medical care for cervical and lumbar spinal injuries, due process violations, and that less restrictive alternatives exist. The court denied his emergency motion for a temporary restraining order prohibiting removal but ordered respondents to file a sealed medical status report within 14 days.

Maria, a 38-year-old thyroid cancer survivor from Brazil, was detained at Delaney Hall ICE detention center for roughly two weeks where medical staff did not provide her prescribed daily hormone supplements and also provided incorrect medication, leaving her unable to urinate for at least four days. Her attorney filed an emergency letter to a federal judge on March 31, 2026, raising concerns about the possibility of irreparable harm including organ failure or sepsis. The judge ordered her release the next day, in part due to these medical concerns. Her case is among over 70 lawsuits filed by Delaney Hall detainees alleging medical neglect.

Najibullah Qasemi is a native and citizen of Afghanistan who entered the United States on December 18, 2023, and was paroled under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5) with a Notice to Appear scheduled for August 30, 2029. On March 31, 2026, ICE took him into custody during a routine check-in without providing notice of the factual basis for revoking his parole. According to ICE's I-213 form, the revocation was based on a check revealing that Qasemi "had not been granted any lawful status to be in the U.S." Qasemi has no known criminal history and had complied with all conditions of his parole, including periodic check-ins with ICE. A federal magistrate judge granted Qasemi's petition for writ of habeas corpus, finding that his re-detention without a hearing before a neutral adjudicator violated due process. The court ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he was subject to prior to his March 31, 2026 detention and enjoined respondents from re-detaining him without at least 7 days' written notice and a pre-deprivation bond hearing.

Isnel Mayea Borges, a Cuban national who entered the U.S. through CBP's One Program in August 2023 and was released on two-year parole, was arrested by ICE on March 31, 2026 while on his way to work. Borges has a pending Application for Adjustment of Status under the Cuban Adjustment Act, possesses valid Employment Authorization, and has no criminal history. The court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process.

Lester Pérez Sánchez and Ismaray Paz Torres, a Cuban pastor couple who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 seeking asylum and hold I-220A status, were detained by ICE on March 31, 2026, during what they believed was a routine supervision appointment in Harlingen, Texas. Both hold work permits and operate a tire repair workshop in Ingleside. They have been held at El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville since their arrest. The Ingleside community, including the mayor, has rallied for their release.

A group of Venezuelan migrants, including children and babies, are stranded in Miami after attempting to voluntarily leave the United States. Their travel documents were rejected by airlines at the airport, preventing them from boarding flights home. The situation stems from Venezuela having no operational consulates in the U.S., making it impossible for Venezuelan citizens to obtain or renew required travel documents like passports and safe-conducts from U.S. soil.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained the father of Chicana painter Criselda Vasquez on March 31, 2026, after he was pulled over while on his way home from work and arrested outside a neighbor's home. Vasquez stated her father had been in the United States for over 40 years and that he was racially profiled. The family launched a fundraiser to cover lost wages and legal fees related to his detention.

Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse University professor, developed DEICER, a crowdsourced mapping app that alerts users to ICE activity and agent locations. After the app gained 30,000 users, the Department of Justice pressured Apple to remove it from the App Store in October 2025. Concepcion lost his university job and received death threats but continued developing modified versions of the tool.

A 15-year-old was detained during an ICE raid at a clandestine club off San Pedro Avenue in San Antonio in November 2025, along with approximately 140 other people. Four months later, the teen remained in federal custody at a migrant children's shelter on San Antonio's South Side despite paperwork for his release being completed. The release process stalled after his father, who was handling the case, was detained while driving back from a job in Corpus Christi, creating additional complications as the family feared further detention if a parent came forward to secure his release.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Jasper County Sheriff's deputies, and Ridgeland police executed a coordinated operation Saturday involving approximately 250 officers across multiple locations in Jasper County, South Carolina, resulting in dozens of arrests. The year-long investigation targeted what Sheriff Chris Malphrus described as a criminal enterprise centered on an illegal cockfighting operation, which also uncovered connections to other criminal activity. Federal authorities are continuing the investigation and have not released specific details about the total number of detainees or their current locations.

On March 31, 2026, a traffic stop on Interstate 20 near Leeds, Alabama resulted in the arrest of four individuals. The driver presented a Mexican identification card instead of an Alabama driver license, prompting an Alabama State Police trooper to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When the driver and two passengers fled on foot into nearby woods, law enforcement apprehended all three without incident. All four individuals were arrested by the Leeds Police Department. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and ICE are investigating the incident.

Omar Salazar, an SMU graduate and Dallas community leader, was ordered deported to Mexico after losing his immigration case on April 2, 2026, following seven months of detention at ICE's Bluebonnet Detention Facility. He was detained after a traffic stop in August 2025 when he presented a Mexican ID and lacked a valid U.S. driver's license. Salazar, who was brought to the U.S. as a minor and did not qualify for DACA, has 60 days to depart voluntarily. His legal team said that while an appeal is possible, it could extend his detention another 8-12 months, and he would likely face a 3-6 year wait before reentry despite being married to a U.S. citizen.

Isaias, an asylee, was detained by ICE during a routine immigration check-in meeting earlier this year. He was the primary source of financial support for his elderly mother Rosa, who is now unable to work and needs assistance with rent and phone bills.

A Venezuelan pediatrician working as a medical assistant in the Raleigh neighborhood is currently in ICE custody.

Elmer Pompilio Gonzales Sifontes, a citizen of Honduras, has lived in the United States for over twenty years. He is married and the father of United States citizen children, has maintained steady employment, filed federal income tax returns for many years, owns a home, and has no criminal history. He filed an application for asylum on July 14, 2023, which remains pending. On March 30, 2026, ICE arrested him at his residence in Fort Pierce, Florida, served him a Notice to Appear, and initiated removal proceedings; he has been detained ever since at the Aurora ICE Processing Center. He requested a custody redetermination hearing, which Immigration Judge Masters denied without addressing danger or flight risk. He filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction seeking immediate release or a new bond hearing before a different judge. The court found he was improperly detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) because that provision applies only to noncitizens seeking admission at the border, not those residing in the interior. The court granted the habeas petition and ordered his immediate release on his own recognizance without onerous conditions, enjoined his re-detention absent a compliant bond hearing, and denied the TRO motion as moot.

An ICE agent working with a Utah Highway Patrol trooper arrested three individuals near Ogden. Video footage shows the ICE agent breaking a vehicle window during the operation. An 18-year-old passenger in the vehicle called his mother during the incident, telling her an agent was pointing a gun at them. The specific identities and immigration status of those arrested were not detailed in the available report.

Yaser Masroor, an asylum seeker from Iran, was re-detained on March 30, 2026, during a routine ICE check-in appointment after being previously released on recognizance in December 2023. ICE detained him solely because he had not been granted lawful status to remain in the U.S., despite having no criminal record and complying with all release conditions. The court found his detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release.

Ivan De Jesus Perez Salgado, a Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. without inspection in 2009 and lived there for over 17 years, was stopped while driving in Florida for allegedly having over-tinted windows and subsequently taken into ICE custody. He was transferred to several detention facilities and is now held at Golden State Annex in California. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered a bond hearing within seven days.

A Hispanic mother was detained by immigration agents while working as a delivery driver. The post appeals for help and offers to share a GoFundMe link for those commenting.

On March 30, 2026, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on I-15 in Weber County for speeding. The driver refused to cooperate and could not provide valid identification despite claiming to be a U.S. citizen. With assistance from Weber County Sheriff's Office and ICE agents, the driver was forcibly removed from the vehicle due to noncompliance. Both the driver and a passenger were found to have active ICE detainers and were arrested and booked into Weber County Jail on charges including speeding, resisting arrest, and driving without a license.

Juan Carlos Quevedo Ferrer, 46, was arrested by Wildwood police for allegedly conducting 10 self-checkout fraud incidents at Target between November and March, in which he scanned lower-priced items like taco seasoning instead of the actual merchandise he purchased, totaling $181 in losses. Following his arrest, he is to be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE lodged a detainer requesting that Charlotte authorities not release Angelvis Jesus Quintero Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Venezuela, who was arrested and faces felony charges including first-degree murder in two fatal shootings in Charlotte on January 24 and March 22, 2026. Quintero Fernandez allegedly entered the U.S. in July 2023 via the CBP One app.

Anton Smovzh was deported from the United States by ICE. Upon crossing the border into Ukraine following his deportation, he was immediately picked up by Ukrainian military draft officers and sent to a training center.

Fernando Costilla Espinoza, 38, a Mexican national, was found asleep behind the wheel of a locked pickup truck at a Pensacola intersection just before 3 a.m. on Sunday. An Escambia County Sheriff's sergeant positioned his patrol vehicle in front of the truck to prevent it from rolling into traffic. When Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrived and woke Espinoza, they observed signs of alcohol impairment. He was arrested on DUI charges, and ICE placed a detainer after determining he was not in the United States legally.

Nine clergy members and one immigration activist were arrested on Monday morning while blocking the ICE headquarters garage in Center City Philadelphia as part of a "Week of Action Against ICE and Collaborators." Homeland Security officers forcibly removed the protesters from the garage doors and took them into custody around 9:45 a.m. All were charged with obstructing access to the garage under federal security infrastructure rules and issued violation notices requiring $530 in penalties or a federal court appearance.

A Toledo resident is one of several lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit accusing federal immigration authorities of making warrantless arrests. The lawsuit comes as ICE enforcement increases in Ohio.

Edgar Gomez-Ramirez, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, was detained by ICE officers on March 28, 2026, after leaving the Cumberland County Courthouse in Bridgeton. According to ICE, Gomez-Ramirez is a Mexican national who entered the United States without authorization three times and was previously offered voluntary return to Mexico on two occasions. Video recorded by his wife, Deborah, who was in the car, showed a masked agent breaking the car window with a baton. Gomez-Ramirez's wife said officers provided no explanation for the detention and did not show a warrant. ICE stated that agents identified themselves, gave multiple warnings that windows could be broken if occupants did not comply with orders to exit the vehicle, and used what the agency characterized as minimum force necessary to complete the arrest. Gomez-Ramirez is currently in ICE custody awaiting immigration court proceedings.

ICE agents detained Edgar Gomez in Bridgeton, New Jersey, after he left a court appearance where all charges against him had been dropped. Agents smashed the window of an immigration lawyer's vehicle and removed Gomez without producing a warrant despite requests from his attorney. Gomez was one step away from obtaining lawful permanent residency. The detention occurred one day after New Jersey passed a law requiring ICE agents to produce warrants.

A 17-year-old attending a protest against ICE was detained and beaten repeatedly with a baton by officers, resulting in a broken femur that required emergency surgery. According to witnesses, the beating occurred while the minor was already surrounded by officers and detained. He is reportedly being denied visitors while hospitalized.

A two-year-old boy named Kaleth has been held at the Dilley family detention center in Texas since March 19, 2026, and is refusing to eat while experiencing a fever. When his mother requested medical assistance, staff reportedly dismissed her concerns as "mental." The facility, run by CoreCivic for ICE, has faced repeated criticism for contaminated food, inadequate medical care, and poor conditions including water shortages. Rep. Joaquin Castro is calling for Kaleth's immediate release and medical care, and has renewed demands to close the facility.

On March 22, 2026, ICE agents in plainclothes detained Angelina Lopez-Jimenez, 41, a Guatemalan national, and her 9-year-old daughter at San Francisco International Airport after TSA alerted ICE to their presence on a passenger list. Lopez-Jimenez was handcuffed and placed in a wheelchair at Terminal 3 after resisting the agents. She had a final removal order issued by an immigration judge in 2019. Both mother and daughter were transferred to Texas and deported to Guatemala within approximately 36 hours. The detention prompted Democratic lawmakers to condemn the action and community groups to protest, with some alleging San Francisco police illegally assisted ICE in violation of the city's sanctuary policies.

Merin Bonerges Mercado-Mejia, who entered the United States in April 2019 and had been living continuously in the country, was taken into immigration custody on March 29, 2026. He had been authorized to work in the U.S., possessed a valid Social Security number and work permit, and owned a landscaping and roofing company. The federal court ordered his immediate release, finding his detention without a bond hearing violated his constitutional due process rights.

Hector Antonio Amaya Flores, 49, was arrested by Hamilton County sheriff's deputies on March 31, 2026, and is facing federal charges for unlawfully reentering the United States after four prior deportations. According to court documents, Flores had been deported in 1996, 1997, 2003, and 2018, and did not have authorization from the Department of Homeland Security to return. He is currently in deportation proceedings in federal court.

ICE Boston arrested Bolivar Rivera-Perez, a Mexican national with two prior deportations and a criminal history including firearms offenses and DUI convictions in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. ICE lodged a detainer against Rivera-Perez with the Franklin County House of Corrections on March 24, 2025, but the facility released him into the community on March 31, 2025, without honoring the detainer.

On March 29, 2026, police arrested multiple protesters during a demonstration at the Portland ICE building in Portland. Isiah A. Lee, 26, climbed onto the lower roof of the facility and vandalized it, resulting in charges of first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal trespass. Isaias Laguna, 21, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree disorderly conduct, and second-degree criminal trespass. Robert Stoms, 37, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief. Lee was taken to Multnomah County Detention Center.

About 1,400 people gathered at the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas for the No Kings protest against immigration enforcement on March 29, 2026. Six people were arrested by Metro police on various charges including refusing to remove a prohibited item, throwing rocks, battery against protesters, and pedestrian in roadway violations. Additional demonstrations took place in North Las Vegas and Henderson.

On March 27, 2026, 25-year-old Jhonathan Cosme Antonio of Carpinteria encountered ICE agents attempting to apprehend him. After fleeing on foot, he jumped the perimeter fence of Santa Barbara County Main Jail to evade them. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the fence jump and was discovered hiding between storage containers. He was transported to a hospital for treatment and issued a citation for trespassing by Santa Barbara County deputies.

Carlos Corte-Corte was arrested on March 28, 2026, after leading a four-year-old child out of a laundromat in Patchogue, New York; the child was found at a nearby library. ICE arrested him on March 31 and initiated removal proceedings. According to DHS, Corte-Corte illegally entered the U.S. at least four times since 2020, with three prior removals. He was charged with second-degree kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.

On March 28, 2026, a charter deportation flight carrying several dozen Russian citizens departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, and arrived in Moscow on March 29 via Newark and Cairo. The deportees were gathered from five or six immigration detention centers across the United States. Human rights advocates reported harsh transfer conditions including shackles and extended periods without seating. Some deportees faced FSB questioning upon arrival, and human rights organizations noted concerns about potential Kremlin reprisals against returnees, including those who had opposed the invasion of Ukraine.

A Trump-appointed federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against ICE for grave violations of detainees' Fifth Amendment rights during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. The court found that ICE isolated thousands of people at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building without access to attorneys and ordered the agency to provide legal aid contacts, interpreters, and free phone access within one hour of detention, as well as ban rapid out-of-state transfers within 72 hours.

Yaima de las Mercedes Suárez, a mother of five including three children with autism, was arrested by ICE at Miami International Airport upon returning from Cuba, where she had traveled for family reasons including visiting her grandmother and honoring her deceased father. She faces deportation based on a 2013 conviction for theft and conspiracy in Manatee County, Florida. Under immigration law, each entry to the United States is treated as a new admission request, which can reactivate prior criminal cases. Her husband stated she had believed there were no issues with her reentry, as she had recently renewed her permanent residency.

Two people were arrested during a "No Kings" protest at Riverfront Park near an ICE facility in downtown Spokane. An 18-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly taking a Trump flag from a counterprotester, and a 32-year-old man was arrested for assaulting an officer who was attempting to detain the woman. The incident lasted approximately five minutes and involved a brief physical altercation between police and protesters.

Pheap Rom, a Cambodian national with permanent resident status in the United States since 1985, was deported to Eswatini in October 2024 under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program. Rom had completed a 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder before deportation proceedings. He was detained at Matsapha Correctional Centre in Eswatini for approximately five months without criminal charges in that country. Rom was released and repatriated to Cambodia in late March 2026, becoming the second person repatriated under the agreement. The U.S. has paid Eswatini $5.1 million to accept up to 160 deportees under this arrangement, with approximately 15-20 men deported there during this period.

Reza Zavvar, a 52-year-old Iranian green card holder who came to the U.S. as a student 40 years ago, was detained by ICE agents on June 28, 2025, while walking his dog near his Gaithersburg, Maryland home. Zavvar was granted withholding of removal to Iran in 2007 and has lived and worked legally in the U.S. for decades. He is currently held in a detention center in Texas and faces deportation. His family and attorney say they do not understand the legal basis for his detention. His case occurred as part of a surge in arrests of Iranian immigrants under the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.

Johnny Rondón Rodríguez, a Venezuelan with a pending asylum case and brain tumor, was pulled over on Interstate 75 and detained despite having no criminal charges. He was held in Orange County jail for 25 days without receiving his medication to treat the tumor, violating ICE guidelines limiting such holds to three days. A federal judge granted his immediate release after a federal prosecutor declined to argue for continued detention.

Argam Nazarian, a 27-year-old Iranian Christian who fled religious persecution and arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 2008, was arrested by ICE on June 23, 2025, while heading to work in Los Angeles. He had lived legally in Los Angeles for four years, working as a delivery driver and in air conditioning while supporting his wife and serving as a caretaker for his mother, who has chronic health conditions. An immigration judge ordered his release on bond in August 2025, finding he posed neither a flight risk nor danger to the community, but the federal government refused to release him, arguing his classification as an "applicant for admission" requires mandatory detention. Nazarian was held in ICE detention in El Paso and later transferred to Cibola County Detention Center in New Mexico, where his knee injury requiring ACL reconstruction remained untreated. The Texas Civil Rights Project challenged his detention through habeas corpus petitions. After nearly 10 months in custody, a federal judge ruled on April 17, 2026, that his detention violated his Fifth Amendment rights, and Nazarian was released. War between the U.S., Israel, and Iran beginning February 28, 2026, had disrupted ICE's deportation plans, with charter flights to Iran temporarily ceased.

Ali and Adel, an Iranian gay couple in their late 30s and early 40s, were detained by border patrol after entering the U.S. from Mexico in early 2025, seeking asylum. Both fled Iran after being arrested by morality police for their relationship, which is punishable by death under Iranian law. Their asylum claims were initially denied, and their appeals are ongoing. Adel was injured in Mexico and remains wheelchair-bound without proper medical treatment; he has experienced severe health complications including organ damage, significant weight loss, and fainting while in ICE custody. Both men face potential deportation to Iran as the Trump administration has reversed decades of policy allowing Iranians fleeing persecution to remain in the U.S. Court orders have so far prevented their deportation, though deportation flights to Iran are paused due to ongoing war. Their lawyer, Rebekah Wolf, states they did not receive full hearings on their asylum claims.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in late March requiring ICE and the Florida Department of Emergency Management to provide detained people at the Everglades Detention Facility with access to legal counsel, confidential calls, and unscheduled attorney visits. The ruling was based on testimony describing systematic denial of access to attorneys and legal materials. The case, filed by the ACLU and immigrant rights advocates, could shape legal access standards at future ICE detention facilities.