Human Impact Project

Deisy Rivera Ortega, wife of active-duty U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Jose Serrano, was detained by ICE on April 14, 2026, during an immigration appointment at a USCIS office in El Paso, Texas. Despite holding a valid work permit and protections under a 2019 withholding of removal order and U.N. Convention Against Torture status, ICE cited her unauthorized entry in 2016 and a 2019 removal order as grounds for detention. The detention followed the Trump administration's April 2025 elimination of a 2022 policy that had treated military family members' service as a mitigating factor in enforcement decisions. Rivera Ortega was released after one month in custody on May 15, 2026, following federal court challenges and advocacy efforts.

Roberto Orozco-Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant from Froid, Montana, was arrested by Border Patrol on January 25, 2026, and detained for 109 days. A federal judge ruled on May 14, 2026, that his continued detention was unlawful, calling the Trump administration's interpretation of immigration law "erroneous" and noting that people accused of entering the country illegally have a right to due process. Orozco-Ramirez, a diesel mechanic and father of four, was released from the Cascade County Detention Center after the judge's ruling.

Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations conducted early morning raids on May 13-14, 2026, targeting volunteers with immigrant rights organization VC Defensa in Ventura County, California. The operations included searches of multiple homes and the organization's office, authorized by search warrants that specifically targeted electronic devices. At least two volunteers, including organizer Leo Martinez, were detained during the sweeping operation. Authorities did not publicly disclose what investigators were searching for or whether specific criminal allegations were involved. VC Defensa and allied groups stated they would contest the raids in court, characterizing the action as an unconstitutional intimidation tactic against community organizers.

Joe Ceballos, 55, a lawful permanent resident and twice-elected former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, who immigrated from Mexico at age four, was detained by ICE on May 13-14, 2026, after pleading guilty in April 2026 to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly election conduct for voting without U.S. citizenship. Ceballos stated he mistakenly believed his permanent residency status allowed him to vote. Under a plea deal, he received one year probation with a suspended six-month jail sentence, a $2,000 fine, and court fees. ICE subsequently initiated removal proceedings and ordered him to report to its detention facility in Wichita, where he was taken into custody. His attorney expressed concern that despite the voting charges potentially not affecting his immigration status, Ceballos now faces likely detention and possible deportation.

Maria Betania Uzcategui Castillo, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker, and her two elementary school-aged children—Victor Uzcategui-Labrador Jr. (age 11) and Monserrat Uzcategui-Labrador (age 8)—were detained by ICE agents on April 27, 2026, at a school bus stop in Alamo Heights, Texas, as they waited for the school bus. The family had arrived at the U.S. border in 2021, held valid work authorization through 2030, and had complied with prior immigration requirements with a court date scheduled for 2027. They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, where they were held for 16 days. Community organizing efforts, including a rally and fundraising campaign that raised over $28,000 for legal fees, followed the detention. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered their release on May 13, 2026, and the family was released on May 14, pending immigration hearings scheduled for later that month.

Adriana Quiroz Zapata, a 53-year-old Colombian national and torture survivor, was detained by ICE in August 2024 after re-entering the United States despite a November 2021 removal order. In February 2025, she passed a Reasonable Fear Interview and received withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Despite these protections, ICE deported her on April 16, 2026. Unable to deport her to Colombia due to CAT protections and rejected by Mexican immigration authorities, ICE transported her to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country where she has no ties. On May 14, 2026, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return Quiroz Zapata, ruling the deportation was likely illegal and citing the DRC's inability to provide adequate medical care for her chronic conditions.

Federal DHS agents conducted at least three immigration-related arrests in Waukegan on Wednesday morning. The first arrest occurred around 9:30 a.m. near Belvidere Road and Powell Avenue; the second around 11:15 a.m. at a Uline warehouse on Lakeside Drive where a man was detained and transported in an unmarked black SUV; and the third around 10:30 a.m. near Catrachos Restaurant on Green Bay Road. At least one detainee was transported to the ICE processing facility in Broadview.

A man was detained by ICE agents in The Colony, Texas after a customer called ICE to avoid paying for auto repair work. According to his daughter, agents pepper-sprayed the man after he was already on the ground and handcuffed. The incident involved an alleged dispute over payment for completed vehicle repairs.

A Honduran immigrant alleges that improper placement of an electronic ankle monitor by ICE resulted in a skin infection and emotional distress after extended wear of the device. The incident highlights concerns about the physical and psychological effects of electronic monitoring on detained immigrants.

Juan Bonilla Lagos, a 32-year-old Colombian national with clinical depression, was arrested by ICE agents in Plainview in October 2024 while sitting in his car with his wife and 5-year-old son. During the arrest, which lasted approximately 12 minutes, agents threatened to break the car window as the child clung to his father and pleaded with agents not to take him. Bonilla Lagos, who entered the U.S. without authorization in 2022, eventually surrendered. While detained in ICE custody following the arrest, he attempted suicide three times. The arrest and prolonged separation caused severe mental health trauma to his wife and children, who experienced depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Darwin Andres Gordon-Ruiz, 20, a Pittsfield High School 2025 graduate originally from Colombia, was arrested by ICE on Tuesday outside a Burger King parking lot. Witnesses described the arrest as violent and chaotic. He is currently being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility and filed a habeas corpus petition. Gordon-Ruiz is also facing charges in Berkshire County Superior Court including two counts of rape and one count of providing alcohol to a minor.

Ramon Santoyo-Cristobal was a convicted Sinaloa Cartel trafficker sentenced to eight years in prison after law enforcement extradited him to the U.S. in 2020. Two years into his prison stint, ICE moved him into deportation proceedings.

Juan Benitez-Ortega was deported two weeks before his arraignment in Colorado on charges that he strangled his girlfriend. He was charged with second-degree assault but the case has been abandoned.

Carmelo Gonzalez was likely a key witness in the case against his 11-year-old daughter's abuser and killer in February. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempted to deport him before he could testify.

Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo has been detained by ICE for months at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, a prison that Trump officials have nicknamed the "Speedway Slammer."

Patricia Balbuena Soto, a 49-year-old mother who had lived in the United States for 30 years, was arrested at her workplace in Atlantic City on July 24, 2025, on criminal charges including home invasion burglary and weapon possession. She was transferred to ICE custody on July 25 and held at Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey, then Port Isabel in Texas. On August 5, 2025, she was deported to Mexico, leaving behind her 17-year-old U.S. citizen daughter. The teenager, an honors student, was forced to abandon her college plans and assume financial responsibility for herself at age 17.

Juan David Arango-Caicedo, a 28-year-old Colombian immigrant who had lived legally in the U.S. for over three years, was detained by ICE at a check-in appointment in May 2026. He became temporarily out of status when his lawyer failed to meet a deadline to file necessary paperwork following his marriage to a U.S. citizen, Nicole, despite having an approved green card petition from USCIS and valid work authorization. He was held at Moshannon Valley Processing Center while his wife pursued legal proceedings for his release. Arango-Caicedo was among 4,400 people whom federal judges determined were unlawfully detained by ICE during President Donald Trump's administration.

Carlos Lool, owner and chef of La Granja Rotisserie and Fuego Rotisserie in South Los Angeles, was detained by ICE agents on May 10, 2026, while picking up supplies for a catering event. According to witnesses, masked agents followed their vehicle and forcibly removed Lool with guns drawn, placing him on the floor at gunpoint. The detention followed a report from a former employee claiming a firearm was kept at the restaurant in violation of Lool's parole conditions. Lool, originally from Guatemala and raised in Connecticut, has a criminal conviction from approximately 30 years ago for which he has already served his sentence. He now faces deportation proceedings while his children, employees, and businesses remain in the U.S., with supporters launching a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant with legal withholding of removal status granted in 2019, was detained by ICE in Baltimore on March 12, 2025, and deported to El Salvador on March 15, 2025, despite a standing court order prohibiting his removal. He was imprisoned in El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison based on unverified MS-13 gang allegations. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered his return in April 2025, and he was flown back to the United States in June 2025. Upon return, he was indicted on human trafficking charges in Tennessee. As of May 2026, federal courts had blocked multiple ICE attempts to deport him to other countries, including Liberia, with judges citing the government's false assertions and lack of viable deportation planning. A federal judge indicated Costa Rica, which had agreed to accept him, would be an acceptable alternative.

Rogelio Bolufé, a 44-year-old Cuban immigrant detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico, initiated a 10-day hunger strike to protest poor conditions and alleged confiscation of legal documents by CoreCivic staff. Within 48 hours of being taken to the Albuquerque ICE field office, he was transferred to multiple detention facilities across Texas, Alabama, Arizona, and Washington. Bolufé alleges the transfers constitute retaliation for his advocacy and complaints, and that he was denied medical care during the process, including being forced to sleep on cold floors in overcrowded conditions. He is appealing a deportation order and seeking a Green Card under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Milena Araya-Davis, a 27-year-old former DACA recipient and mental health therapist, was arrested by ICE agents waiting outside a USCIS office in San Diego in December 2025 immediately after being told her green card application was approved. She spent a week detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center, where she reported sleeping on floors, receiving inadequate food and medical care, and sharing cells with multiple other women. San Diego County subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and private prison operator CoreCivic after being denied inspection access to the facility.

Axel Sánchez Toledo called 911 in December 2025 requesting a welfare check on his 4-year-old daughter in Palm Beach. When sheriff's deputies arrived, they accused him of being undocumented and detained him for ICE. Body camera footage shows deputies tasering, tackling, and striking Toledo with a baton while he was on the ground, despite his claims of having a pending asylum case and documentation. Toledo spent four months in jail on a resisting arrest charge before prosecutors dropped it in exchange for an apology letter. ICE took him into custody on May 1, 2026, and he now faces deportation proceedings.

Seven people, believed to be immigrants from Mexico and Honduras being smuggled in a sealed Union Pacific boxcar, died from heat stroke at a rail yard in Laredo, Texas. Six bodies were discovered inside the boxcar on Sunday, May 10, 2026, when outside temperatures reached 97–105 degrees. A woman inside the container called her sister reporting dangerous heat and physical distress, prompting a police response, but authorities could not immediately locate the train. A seventh body was found near railroad tracks in Bexar County, approximately 150 miles north of Laredo, on Monday and is believed connected to the incident. Medical examiners attributed deaths to heat-related illness.

Buenos Dias Coffee, a Latin-owned coffee shop in Rossville, Georgia, is closing after three years in business following the ICE detention of its owner and operator. The owner was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a traffic stop and is facing deportation. Her family, who co-own the business, announced the closure on Facebook and decided to sell the cafe and relocate to Mexico to reunite with and support the detained mother while she remains in custody.

Mariola Perez, a Guatemalan genocide survivor and paraprofessional educator in Lynn, Massachusetts, was placed in removal proceedings after a 2013 traffic stop led to ICE involvement. After 16 years in the U.S., she was ordered to report to ICE in Burlington on May 11, 2026, facing possible detention and deportation. Community members, city officials, teachers, and advocates rallied in her support, with over 4,500 people signing a petition. At her scheduled ICE appointment on May 11, Perez was not detained; instead, she was granted a reasonable fear interview and scheduled for another check-in in November. Her case gained attention partly due to concerns about the impact on her 15-year-old U.S. citizen son, who has complex medical needs.

Everlee Wihongi, a 36-year-old New Zealand citizen and lawful permanent resident who has lived legally in the United States for over 25 years, was detained by ICE officers at Los Angeles International Airport on April 10, 2026, after returning from a family visit to New Zealand. Her detention stems from a decade-old marijuana possession felony conviction based on incorrect legal advice from her prior attorney. During detention at an ICE processing center in Adelanto, California, she was not informed of charges or reasons for her detention, with ICE and border patrol providing conflicting explanations. She was subsequently transferred between multiple facilities across California, Texas, and Arizona over a weekend, during which she reported being shackled, denied food, and kept awake. Approximately one month after initial detention, Wihongi disappeared from ICE's online detainee locator system. Her attorney scheduled a court hearing in Wisconsin on May 21 to petition to vacate the underlying conviction, which could secure her release.

Cleon "Uncle Lou" Williams, owner of Uncle Lou's and Grumpy's Underground Eatery & Lounge in the Mills 50 district, was arrested during a raid by the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco for serving hard liquor at an establishment licensed only for beer and wine. An immigration detainer was placed on Williams after his arrival at jail due to an expired visa. Williams is known in the local music community for supporting up-and-coming artists and homeless individuals.

Three fruit vendors from Puebla, Mexico were detained by federal immigration agents on Monday morning, May 10, 2026, near Verde and Tremont streets in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. The detention occurred around 8:35 a.m. as the men were preparing to load their produce carts, in close proximity to Santa Teresita School, a Catholic elementary school. Video footage from a home surveillance camera captured the operation involving agents in unmarked vehicles. The three men were taken into custody and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Three people working on a truck in Boyle Heights were detained by apparent federal ICE agents Monday morning near Verde and Tremont streets, steps away from Santa Teresita School, a Catholic elementary school. Video from home surveillance showed agents rushing out of vehicles to detain the men around 8:35 a.m.

Humberto Cruz, a 19-year-old San Diego Padres pitching prospect ranked No. 5 in the organization, pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of accessory after the fact to improper entry related to a human smuggling operation in Arizona. Cruz was arrested on October 28 near Lukeville while driving a BMW with Mexican license plates and transporting two undocumented Mexican citizens, having been paid $1,000 per person to transport them. After his guilty plea in November, Cruz self-deported to Mexico and was placed on the Padres' restricted list with his salary suspended.

A young dairy worker was detained by ICE agents at a Hispanic-owned convenience store in King Ferry on Friday morning, marking the third immigrant detained in the area in approximately six weeks. The detentions have affected dairy farm workers in Cayuga County, prompting community members to organize a rally and march on Saturday to protest the increased enforcement actions.

Caden Hawkins was detained at the Port of Palomas Border Crossing in Columbus, New Mexico after accidentally driving to the U.S.-Mexico border while following GPS on a work assignment. He was detained because he had a licensed pistol and bullets in his vehicle. After one year imprisoned in Mexico, Hawkins was released and returned to his family in Hallsville, Texas.

Cleon Ortille Williams, 62, known as Uncle Lou, owner of Uncle Lou's Entertainment Hall in Orlando, was detained by ICE on May 9, 2026, at his business. Originally from Jamaica, Williams has operated the prominent music venue since 2005 and is a well-known figure in Orlando's music scene. He was booked into Orange County Corrections Facility with an immigration hold and no criminal charges.

An ICE deportation charter flight operated by Omni Air held passengers shackled at the wrists, waists, and ankles for over 69 hours during a multi-country journey from Guam through Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The passengers included elders, people with disabilities, and individuals who had agreed to voluntary departure, with limited ability to move during the lengthy transport.

Juan Tablante, father of Atlanta United midfielder Moisés Tablante, was detained by ICE during a traffic stop while traveling from Orlando, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia. Tablante has been an asylum applicant since 2016, holds a valid work permit and driver's license, and has no criminal record. He remains in immigration detention despite his pending asylum status.

Kevin González, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen with stage 4 colon cancer, pleaded with immigration authorities to release his parents so he could see them before his death. His parents, Mexican nationals Isidoro González Avilés and Norma Anabel Ramírez Amaya, were arrested near Douglas, Arizona on April 14, 2026, after attempting to reenter the U.S. following denied humanitarian and B1/B2 visa requests. They had been previously deported in 2011 and 2024, and were reported chained during court appearances while detained for weeks. A federal judge in Tucson ordered their release on May 8, 2026. They were deported to Mexico that day and traveled to Durango, where they reunited with Kevin on May 8. Kevin died on May 9, 2026, one day after the reunion.

Olivia Andre, a 19-year-old nursing student and asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was apprehended with her family in November 2025 while attempting to seek asylum. While her mother and two younger siblings were released in March 2026, Andre remained detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas for approximately six months. During her detention, she experienced severe physical and mental health deterioration, including weight loss, depression, insomnia, nightmares, and suicidal ideation, and received no mental health care despite documented PTSD and depression. In early May 2026, a federal district court judge in San Antonio ruled that Andre's detention was unlawful because the government failed to establish she posed a danger or flight risk and that continued detention violated her constitutional right to due process. She was released and reunited with her family in Portland, Maine.

José 'Poni' Góngora Poot, a cook who worked at Portland restaurant Güero for a decade, was detained by ICE agents on May 8 while driving to work near his home. He was removed from his vehicle and taken into custody. Góngora Poot is being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. A GoFundMe fundraiser was created to support him, raising over $30,000.

Virginia was detained in January 2026 during the Midway Blitz Operation in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was transferred to Adelanto Detention Center in California, where a judge set her bond at $35,000. She was released in CA, where she had no contacts, without any means for returning home to MN.

Ana Delgado, a Venezuelan woman with Temporary Protected Status and an active family-based immigration petition filed by her U.S. citizen husband, was detained by ICE on April 29, 2026, after an agent posing as an ISAP case manager deceived her into stepping outside her home in Texas. Nine ICE officers surrounded her and took her into custody, separating her from her 4-year-old child and 1-year-old daughter whom she was breastfeeding. While postpartum and nursing, Ana was held at Karnes detention center in Texas before being transferred to Eloy detention center in Arizona. She developed severe mastitis as a result of separation from her nursing infant and was denied requests to breastfeed during visitation and denied access to a breast pump. Ana has no criminal record and was in the process of adjusting status through her husband's sponsorship. ICE indicated she may be deported by Mother's Day.

Luis Fernando Cabrera, an 18-year-old senior at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, was detained by ICE on May 1, 2026, after a Texas Department of Public Safety traffic stop for expired registration. The DPS trooper, certified as a Delegated Immigration Officer under 287g, contacted ICE after determining Cabrera was not lawfully present. Cabrera was shackled and transferred to the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center, over 100 miles away. He has an active pending asylum case related to alleged abuse and threats in Mexico, no deportation order, and no criminal history. His attorney filed a habeas corpus petition arguing he is not a flight risk, noting his pending asylum case, plan to graduate in June, and intention to attend Austin Community College. His detention prompted protests from classmates and community members, with support from his school and St. James Episcopal Church.

Anstasiia and Andrei, Russian activists who fled Russia fearing retaliation for their involvement with the Navalny campaign, sought political asylum in the U.S. but were detained at separate ICE facilities in Louisiana. Anstasiia was held at Basile ICE jail, where she alleges she was stripped naked and confined to a glass room for 24 hours. She also reported that women detainees were subjected to male guards while showering and using the bathroom. Andrei was detained at Allen Parish Public Safety Complex. The facilities are reported to have conditions including physical and sexual abuse, medical neglect, rat infestations, black mold, expired food, and prolonged solitary confinement.

Carlos Della Valle, a Mexican national and long-term resident of Chester County, Pennsylvania, was detained by ICE in December 2024 after being arrested at an airport in St. Thomas while on family vacation. He was held across 12 different detention facilities, including centers in Louisiana and Florida, and reported inhumane conditions during his confinement. Despite claiming a judge had declared him not guilty, Della Valle was detained under a 1997 deportation order. His wife Angela, a U.S. citizen, and supporters rallied for his release. He was released in late April 2026 after 258 days in custody and returned to his home in Chester County.

José Contreras Díaz, a 30-year-old DACA recipient, was arrested by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment in January 2026 and deported to Honduras despite his valid protected status. After his attorney challenged the deportation citing federal court precedent, immigration authorities granted him parole to return to the United States. Upon arrival at Harlingen Airport on April 29, 2026, ICE agents detained him at Port Isabel Detention Center rather than releasing him as expected. Following a habeas corpus petition challenging his detention, he was released on May 8, 2026, after more than three months of separation from his family, including missing the birth of his son.

Maria Trinidad Loya Medina, a Mexican national who lived in Albany, Oregon for over 20 years and was the primary caregiver for her husband and two U.S. citizen children, was detained by ICE agents on January 10, 2026, during Operation Black Rose while shopping at a sporting goods store in Albany. She was held at Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington for four months. An immigration judge denied her bond request on February 4 after a brief hearing, despite evidence of strong community ties and no criminal history. On May 7, Federal Judge Grady J. Leupold ordered her immediate release, finding that the immigration judge violated her constitutional due process rights by failing to consider relevant factors and abusing discretion in denying bond. The judge cited documented harm to her family, including her husband's stroke and daughter's depression. ICE delayed her release until May 8.

Luis Enrique Cuellar-Padilla, an asylum seeker from Colombia, was detained by ICE after a court hearing despite having his credible fear application approved. He has been held for nearly 8 months and denied bond, with immigration officials claiming he is a flight risk due to insufficient community ties, though his legal team attributes the detention to the current anti-immigrant political climate. Since entering the U.S. in 2022, Cuellar-Padilla has maintained a stable job, attended all immigration appointments and court dates, and held an apartment lease.

Maikel Rojas, a 45-year-old Cuban immigrant, was released from Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in March 2026 after nearly five months in custody. Immigration authorities subsequently issued him a "Plan of Action for Removal" ordering him to self-deport by August 4, 2026, obtain a Cuban passport, and purchase a one-way airline ticket. Rojas was convicted as an accessory to murder in 2005 and served 13 years in prison; under federal law, immigrants convicted of crimes after 1996 with sentences exceeding one year are barred from remaining in the United States.

Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a U.S. citizen born in Florida, was detained three separate times by ICE agents within 12 months despite carrying a valid Alabama REAL ID. In May 2025, he was tackled and handcuffed during a construction site raid in Foley while filming his brother's arrest. In June 2025, he was detained at a home he was building in Fairhope after agents rejected his REAL ID. On May 2, 2026, agents followed him home, pulled him from his vehicle, and placed him in leg shackles despite his citizenship documentation. Venegas filed a federal lawsuit against the federal government alleging Fourth Amendment violations and warrantless, suspicionless detentions.

Jeury Concepcion, 19, was chased down and taken to the ground by ICE agents near East Gun Hill Road and Hull Avenue in the Bronx in a case of mistaken identity. He was left bloodied and bruised, requiring several stitches. Concepcion was eventually released after producing his ID to prove he was not the suspect the agents were seeking.

Sanan Atou, 43, who spent most of his life in Michigan, was deported to Iraq despite not being an Iraqi citizen. The Detroit Free Press reported on his case, highlighting the circumstances of his deportation.

ICE agents conducted a 9-hour standoff at a residential property in Antioch, California, and arrested Miguel Antonio Blanco, who lived at one address. The agents were targeting Gerson Manuel Portillo-Escobar, wanted for human trafficking, who lived a few houses away at a different address. According to the family, agents were told multiple times they had the wrong person but proceeded with the arrest anyway.