Human Impact Project

Denise Epieyu was detained by ICE while traveling to work. Her family created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal representation to help Denise navigate the immigration process and secure her release from the GEO detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. The family stated that legal expenses exceed what they can afford on their own.

Alim Garipov, an 18-year-old Russian senior at Bellaire High School in Houston, was detained by ICE at Hobby Airport on July 17, 2026, while traveling with family to visit colleges. Garipov arrived in the United States on May 7, 2022, at age 14 with authorization to remain until November 6, 2022, but stayed in the country after his authorized period expired. He has a pending asylum application from Russia. Teachers and former classmates described Garipov as hardworking, kind, and a standout swimmer who served as team captain. Educator Elizabeth Chapman stated he "has done everything right" and described him as "the kindest, most sensitive boy." Garipov founded the school's Russian Culture Club and worked to learn English. He was held in ICE detention in Conroe for more than 72 hours. U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher's office worked with the family on the case.

Shaoping Wu, a 48-year-old Chinese human rights lawyer, was detained by ICE in mid-July 2026 while working as an Amazon delivery driver in Pennsylvania. Wu fled China in 2019 after the government cracked down on lawyers challenging authorities in civil rights cases. He arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa, filed for asylum in 2020, and received work authorization. He had been working full-time as a delivery driver since April 2025 while continuing his advocacy work criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. Wu was living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his wife Li Caoliu and their 17-year-old daughter, a Hempfield High School student. During his arrest, he informed police about his pending asylum application, but they notified immigration officials who detained him at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife expressed concern about lost income and mounting bills while helping with his defense. Human rights organizations have warned that Wu could face serious retaliation if deported to China.

Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen born in Vietnam, was confronted by plainclothes ICE agents at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on July 13, 2026. Video footage shows agents holding him on the ground and attempting to handcuff him while he was in Terminal 3. When onlookers and a TSA officer intervened, the agents walked away, leaving him with a handcuff attached to one wrist. Las Vegas police officers arrived and removed the handcuff after determining there were no outstanding warrants against him. According to DHS, Nguyen's valid two-year visa had expired in 2015. ICE arrested him the following day at Los Angeles International Airport, and he is currently held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center pending removal proceedings.

Celestin Dima, a gay asylum seeker from Burkina Faso, fled kidnapping, military persecution and police torture after being outed before crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024. In August 2025, an Arizona immigration judge granted him withholding of removal, finding he would likely face persecution if deported home, but ICE continued holding him at the Eloy Detention Center for nearly two years while searching for a third country willing to accept him, considering Ghana, Cameroon and Uganda—all countries where homosexuality is criminalized. While detained, he stopped eating and was placed in solitary confinement for two weeks. A federal judge ordered his release in June 2025 after granting a joint habeas petition, but ICE redetained him on July 17 during a mandatory check-in at a field office in Lower Manhattan. He was then transferred through detention facilities in New Jersey and near Dallas, fitted with a GPS ankle monitor, and later scheduled for deportation to the Central African Republic without being told in advance where he would be sent.

Claudia Carolina Rodriguez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan who arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2017, was detained by ICE agents at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 17 after passing through TSA security while boarding a domestic flight to North Carolina to watch World Cup matches with friends. Rodriguez held Temporary Protected Status that had expired and had a pending asylum application at the time of her arrest. She was initially held at the Miramar processing facility for eight days, where she reported severe conditions including overcrowding (roughly 47 women in one room sleeping on bare floors), expired or moldy food, inadequate water access, lack of access to showers, and inability to change clothes or go outside. She lost approximately 15 pounds during detention. After transfer to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, an immigration judge granted her bond on August 3, and she was released wearing an ankle monitor. Her family says she has no criminal record and intends to continue fighting her asylum case.

Rosendo Lira, a 59-year-old Wise County business owner and father of five, was detained by ICE after Wise County sheriff's deputies pulled him over for a traffic violation on July 17, 2026, just three minutes from his home. Despite holding a valid work permit and driver's license, Lira was transferred to ICE custody based on a 2020 immigration court order of removal that his family says is under appeal. Lira was preparing for his daughter Bella's quinceañera celebration; Bella was born with Down Syndrome, and Lira has been her primary advocate and caregiver throughout her life. His daughter Synthia stated that Lira had no reason to be detained as he had not violated the terms of his work permit, committed no crime, and cannot legally be deported while an appeal is pending. The detention occurred following the sheriff's office's April 2026 adoption of a 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Giovanni Henriquez-Osorio, a native of El Salvador, was arrested in Provo, Utah and held at Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump. Federal authorities asserted he was a member of MS-13 gang, but U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware found no evidence supporting the claim. Boulware noted Henriquez-Osorio feared torture and persecution if deported and that his detention caused financial harm to his family — a partner and infant son facing eviction. After initially denying him a bond hearing, the judge in March ordered he be released or receive a constitutionally adequate hearing. When an immigration judge again ruled him dangerous based on prior DUI and domestic violence convictions, Boulware found the decision misstated the record and misconstrued facts. The judge ordered his release on July 17, 2026, threatening contempt sanctions against ICE and DHS if they did not comply.

Mohammad Hassani is detained by United States immigration enforcement officials at the Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Cameron County, Texas. Hassani filed a habeas corpus petition seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent respondents from transferring him outside the court's jurisdiction while his case is pending. The court denied his motion, finding he failed to demonstrate substantial irreparable harm, since his counsel is located in New York City and cannot communicate with him in person regardless of his detention location.

Floridalma Chinchilla, an immigration detainee held at Washoe County Detention Center in Nevada, filed a federal habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging her ongoing detention. She filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent her transfer outside the district and secure her release pending resolution of her habeas petition, alleging she is subject to a final removal order and at risk of imminent removal. The court found the petition stated a prima facie case for relief and issued an order prohibiting her transfer out of the district or removal unless the court grants a motion to modify the order.

Omar de Jesus Bermudez Navarrete, a non-citizen from El Salvador who entered the United States in 2021, was arrested and detained by ICE agents outside his apartment building in San Francisco on July 17, 2026. ICE agents arrested him without presenting a warrant at the time, claiming it was at their office. Navarrete has no criminal record, filed an asylum application, received work authorization, and is the sole provider for his pregnant wife and two young children. The court granted his temporary restraining order requiring immediate release and prohibiting re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that detention is necessary to prevent flight or protect the public.

U.S. Border Patrol agents pulled over suspects at a Circle K gas station near Bemidji Regional Airport. The suspects fled on foot to the airport and ended up on the runway. Officers pursued the suspects and eventually apprehended them on the tarmac with assistance from a Bemidji Police Officer, Minnesota State Trooper, and two Border Patrol Agents. Mayor Jorge Prince stated this was a targeted action looking for specific people.

Maikel Guerra Morales, a Cuban national convicted of aircraft piracy in 2003 after hijacking a commuter plane, was released from ICE custody by Senior U.S. District Judge John E. Steele on July 8, 2026, after more than six months in detention. Judge Steele ruled that ICE lacked a concrete plan to deport Morales and was violating the 2001 Supreme Court decision in Zadvydas v. Davis against indefinite detention. Morales had been released under supervision in March 2023 but was re-arrested in December 2025 despite complying with all supervision terms. Judge Steele ordered ICE to release Morales within 24 hours under the same conditions that had previously applied. In an exclusive statement, Morales expressed gratitude for Judge Steele, saying he would "always remember Judge Steele as a man who honored the oath he took" and calling him someone who applied "the law with independence, integrity, and justice." Judge Steele died at age 77 days after issuing the ruling. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube subsequently filed articles of impeachment against the deceased judge, making Judge Steele the first federal judge to die during impeachment proceedings.

Two construction workers from National City were arrested by federal immigration agents around 7 a.m. on July 17, 2026, outside a residential construction site in Cardiff. According to a co-worker, the brothers have worked at construction sites for nearly two decades. One is married with two children; his son is now an adult aspiring to become an architect. The arrest occurred quietly and quickly in unmarked vehicles, with some neighbors unaware of what happened despite being nearby. The workers' silver Nissan Frontier was left abandoned at the scene with their equipment and lunch still inside.

Twin sisters Angely and Alexka Jerez-Medina, 18-year-old students at Western International High School in Detroit, were detained by ICE in Buffalo, New York on June 24, 2026, while working a summer job cleaning an Amazon warehouse. According to court documents, the twins have never been arrested or convicted of a crime, have attended all immigration court appointments, and had previous removal proceedings dismissed by an immigration judge with no current removal proceedings pending. Their teacher described them as excellent, hardworking, shy students, with Angely participating in the school's JROTC program and Alexka interested in pursuing a career in the sciences. Both are active members of Pan de Vida Lutheran Church in Detroit. The twins were subsequently transferred to ICE detention facilities in El Paso, Texas and Louisiana. An attorney filed a habeas corpus petition on their behalf on June 25, and U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and multiple state and local officials have requested their release.

ICE agents in Passaic, New Jersey detained a U.S. citizen who repeatedly asked them to verify his identification. According to a neighbor who filmed the incident, the man told the federal agents who he was and pleaded with them to check his ID, but agents forced him to the ground, handcuffed him, and placed him in their vehicle without verifying his identity.

A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Nyamuoch Thomas Duoth, a lawful permanent resident born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1994, from an Iowa jail where she was held by ICE. Duoth, a citizen of South Sudan, had been detained since March 2025 after ICE said it intended to deport her to South Sudan or Ethiopia, though officials failed to show progress toward removal for more than six months after her removal order became final. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher said the government's argument that her past criminal history justified continued detention was 'hard to take seriously,' noting she had lived in the community without incident for years after her convictions. Duoth's attorneys are now seeking reimbursement of legal fees from the federal government.

ICE conducted enforcement operations in Fall River between July 16 and August 3, 2026, resulting in four arrests. Daniel Narcisse, a Haitian immigrant, was arrested on July 16 after being charged with misdemeanors for DUI, negligent driving, and endangering two children while driving under the influence in May 2026. Alex Morocho Lalvay, an Ecuadorian immigrant, was arrested on July 22 and faces misdemeanor charges of assault and battery on a family member and violation of an abuse prevention order from 2025. Fabiano Silvino Dos Santos, a Brazilian immigrant, was arrested on August 1; he faced a 2024 felony charge of assault and battery on a child under 14 with a dangerous weapon that was dismissed after prosecutors did not pursue it. Miguel Angel Bermol-Hermitano, from Mexico, was arrested on August 3 after being previously removed from the country; Massachusetts court records show two misdemeanor charges for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle from 2003 and 2005, both dismissed. According to ICE, all four individuals were not living in the country legally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven undocumented immigrants during a targeted operation in Bemidji on July 16, 2026. Benjamin Rodriguez Medina, from Mexico, was arrested while working on a construction site at the SouthShore Hotel on Lake Bemidji; he attempted to flee by swimming into the lake before being apprehended. The other six men arrested were Manuel Pomavilla Pichisaca (Ecuador), Luis Zaruma Delgado (Ecuador/Spain dual citizen), Diego Soto Velosco (Mexico), Xavier Llumiquinga Cajamarca (Ecuador), Wilson Pomavilla Guaman (Ecuador), and Luis Tipan-Calderon (Ecuador). All seven were in ICE custody pending further immigration proceedings.

ICE agents detained Matar Ndiaye at an immigration court in Manhattan while he attended a mandatory asylum hearing, despite a May 2026 federal court order prohibiting such arrests. This marks at least the sixth arrest at Manhattan immigration courts since U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel's ruling. Ndiaye, a Bronx resident with no criminal convictions who had complied with all immigration directives, was transferred to Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey.

Claudio Rene Cervantes-Perez, a noncitizen, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, challenging his detention at the South Texas ICE Processing Center without a bond hearing. The court issued an order for service requiring respondents to file a response within seven days identifying Cervantes-Perez's country of birth, date of entry, statutory basis for removability, previous immigration detention history, and current immigration status. The court indicated that the case appears to turn on whether Cervantes-Perez's detention without a bond hearing violates the due process rights afforded to noncitizens who have established a substantial presence in the United States, and directed respondents to consider the court's prior orders addressing this question. Respondents were permitted to either file a full response or indicate no material factual differences from related cases while preserving legal arguments.

Agustin Cuesta Terry, a federal immigration detainee, filed a pro se Application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 while detained at the ICE Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado. The court found deficiencies in his filing and ordered him to cure them within 30 days, including submitting a proper 28 U.S.C. § 1915 Motion and Affidavit or paying the $5.00 filing fee. The court warned that failure to cure the deficiencies within 30 days would result in dismissal without prejudice.

Federal ICE agents detained a man in St. Charles, Missouri. According to witnesses, an agent slammed the handcuffed man's face into a stone wall while he was restrained. The video also shows agents confronting a bystander who was recording from a public area, chasing him, pushing him backward, and pointing what appeared to be a taser in his direction. Courts have generally recognized a First Amendment right to record law-enforcement officers performing public duties.

Jorge Vilchez, owner of Caracas Latin Food restaurant in El Paso, Texas, was detained by ICE on July 16, 2026. A Venezuelan national who arrived in the United States on September 22, 2019, on a visa that expired on March 21, 2020, Vilchez had recently organized a humanitarian aid campaign through his restaurant to collect food, medicine, and supplies for earthquake victims in Venezuela on June 24. According to his family, he has no criminal record and had gained recognition in the El Paso community for his relief efforts and commitment to helping others. His asylum case remains pending before an immigration judge. He is being held at the Otero County Processing Center in New Mexico. His family and friends launched fundraising campaigns, including a GoFundMe, to cover legal fees and immigration process costs, while the restaurant announced it will continue operating during normal business hours.

Shucheng "Charlie" Yang, 32, a Chinese national employed as an attorney with Alaska's Department of Law Civil Division, was arrested by ICE on July 10, 2026 in Anchorage. Yang was admitted to the Alaska Bar Association and licensed to practice law in June 2025. According to ICE, Yang violated the terms of his admission to the U.S. and is subject to deportation, though the specific violation was not clarified by ICE. An attorney familiar with immigration proceedings suggested Yang likely applied for asylum. Court records show Yang received a speeding ticket in April for driving 103 mph in a 65 mph zone on the Seward Highway, which he resolved by pleading no contest and paying a $2,300 fine. As of July 16, he was being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington awaiting immigration proceedings scheduled for October.

Victor Alfredo Perez Martin, a Guatemalan national, was arrested by ICE on July 6, 2026, outside Sentara BelleHarbour outpatient campus in Suffolk during a targeted enforcement operation. Bystander video documented ICE agents tackling him to the ground and repeatedly striking him with punches and knees to the stomach and back while attempting to handcuff him. ICE initially claimed Perez Martin had accepted voluntary departure, but his attorney James Reyes withdrew that acceptance and requested a notice to appear in immigration court. On July 16, U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ruled that ICE had detained him under the wrong statute and ordered his release, finding he was entitled to a bond hearing. Perez Martin was released the same day and will proceed with immigration court proceedings where he will seek bond and face removal.

ICE agents arrested two noncitizens during a targeted enforcement operation in Morristown on July 16, 2026. Marlon Portillo-Masariegos, a Honduran national, was arrested; DHS stated he had been deported twice previously (in June 2018 and September 2018) and had re-entered the country illegally. Eduardo Alonso Guaido Bracho, a Venezuelan national, was also arrested; DHS said he had entered the U.S. illegally in 2024 and had been issued a final removal order on June 3, 2025. Morristown police director Michael Corcoran said ICE agents arrived in unmarked vehicles around 6 p.m. without advance notice and detained several individuals. Residents reported seeing ICE agents chase a young man on foot through backyards.

ICE agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation at the SouthShore Hotel construction site in Bemidji, Minnesota, on July 16, 2026, around 11:20 a.m. When agents arrived, several construction workers fled the job site, and at least one man ran into Lake Bemidji, swimming about 100 yards offshore in an attempt to escape. ICE agents removed him from the water, handcuffed him, and took him into custody, transporting him in an unmarked van. The worker was employed by a subcontractor hired for the hotel's remodeling project; his identity and immigration status were not disclosed. Bemidji Police Department responded to calls about people entering the lake as a public safety concern but was not involved in the enforcement action itself. Lakeside Management, Inc., the hotel's property management company, said it was unaware of any workers lacking legal work authorization.

Martha Sias, a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident, was arrested by ICE agents on July 15, 2026, during a targeted enforcement operation outside an Allsup's convenience store in Chaparral. The arrest drew attention after a social media video circulated showing her detention. According to court records, Sias pleaded guilty in October 2025 to manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance after CBP officers discovered approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the door panels of an SUV she was driving at the Paso del Norte border crossing on January 12, 2022. She was sentenced to 10 years of supervised probation and was on probation at the time of her ICE arrest. ICE said she is subject to removal proceedings and will have an opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge.

David Ardila, a 33-year-old DJ from Venezuela, was detained by ICE at Logan Airport on July 10, 2026, after returning from attending a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match in Boston. Ardila fled Venezuela and applied for asylum in 2017, entering the U.S. on a valid visa that year. He holds a Social Security number and work permits and has been following all legal processes required while waiting nearly a decade for an asylum interview. ICE detained him for allegedly overstaying his visa by over eight years, which his attorney Todd Pomerleau attributes to delays in the asylum application process. Ardila has no criminal record and is currently being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts, approximately 3,000 miles from his family in Seattle, with legal challenges being filed seeking his release and permission to remain in Massachusetts during his immigration proceedings.

Maria Rosales, a 32-year-old DACA recipient who came to the U.S. from Colombia at age 4, was detained by ICE at Logan Airport on July 10, 2026, while trying to board a flight home to Orlando after attending a Noah Kahan concert at Fenway Park with friends from her color guard group. Rosales, who has lived in the U.S. for 28 years, works as a dermatologist's assistant treating skin cancer patients and founded and directs Vestige Winter Guard, an indoor color guard troupe in Florida. Friends and colleagues describe her as a hard worker and integral part of Florida's performing arts community. ICE cited a 2017 removal order from an immigration checkpoint encounter in New Mexico, though her attorney says she was unaware of it and never received proper hearing details. Her DACA renewal has been pending since 2023. She was held at a Burlington facility until a federal judge ordered her release on July 21, finding ICE failed to comply with statutory detention procedures.

A suspected federal immigration agent conducted a traffic stop in Slidell, Louisiana that escalated into immigration interrogation. After the driver refused to cooperate, local law enforcement was called and a 13-year-old boy was allegedly interrogated. The occupants were reportedly eventually released.

An elderly woman who has been in the U.S. legally for over 35 years was detained by ICE agents in Chaparral, New Mexico while traveling to a chemotherapy appointment. According to her daughter, the woman encountered ICE agents on the road, became frightened, and fled into an Allsup's Convenience Store seeking help, reporting she had been followed. Video of the incident spread on social media. The detention occurred amid ongoing debate over ICE traffic stop policies, following President Trump's statement that ICE should continue traffic stops despite two recent deadly shootings involving ICE agents.

ChongLy 'Scott' Thao, a 56-year-old naturalized Hmong American U.S. citizen with no criminal record, was forcibly removed from his St. Paul home by ICE agents on January 18, 2026. Agents broke down his front door at gunpoint without a warrant and led him outside in sub-freezing conditions wearing only underwear and a blanket. Thao, who has severe psoriasis worsened by cold and stress, was held for over two hours, driven to an undisclosed location where he was photographed in the cold, then returned home after agents realized he was a U.S. citizen. ICE claimed agents were executing a warrant seeking two convicted sex offenders with ties to the property, but Thao stated he had never seen those men and they did not live with him; the Minnesota Department of Corrections later confirmed one of the wanted men was still imprisoned. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced in April 2026 they are investigating the incident as potential kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. Thao's family is working with the ACLU of Minnesota and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office to pursue legal action.

Roberto Mosquera del Peral, a Cuban man who arrived in the U.S. as a child during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and built a life as a plumber, husband, and father of four daughters, was deported to Eswatini in mid-July as part of the Trump administration's third-country deportation program. He has been held at Matsapha Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison, for more than three months without being charged with any offense or given access to legal counsel. His lawyer reports he is on a hunger strike with serious health concerns, and civic groups in Eswatini have filed court cases challenging the legality of holding him and other deportees in prison without charge.

Miguel was 14 years old and aspired to be a teacher. He was held in federal custody for 167 days. This source is part of a broader CT Insider investigation into extended detentions of immigrant children under Trump administration policies that imposed stringent new requirements for their release. The article covers six children held in Connecticut federal custody, with detention lengths ranging from 118 to 505 days, many while their families awaited approval despite meeting all vetting requirements.

Liam, 15, was arrested by local police in May 2025 following a fight; ICE agents separated him from his father who arrived to pick him up and took both into custody. Liam was held in an ICE office in Burlington, Massachusetts, then transferred to an ORR shelter in Texas for three months before being moved to Groton, Connecticut. Whether ICE ever properly contacted his mother to inform her she could pick him up remains disputed; she said ICE called her while he was in Burlington but did not tell her she could retrieve him, and she did not hear from him again until he was in Texas. The government made contradictory statements about the mother's availability, at one point claiming ICE couldn't locate her, then claiming ICE asked her to pick him up but she refused, while also stating she was at the police station during his arrest. Liam grew anxious and depressed in the shelters; a psychological evaluation recommended his release "as soon as possible" for his well-being. Federal Judge Vernon Oliver called the government's claims "disturbing" and "full of significant incongruities," and ordered Liam's release 27 days after the lawsuit was filed; his mother picked him up the following day after 255 days of detention.

Jean, a 12-year-old from Haiti, was detained at the U.S. border and held in federal custody for 505 days, spending his 13th birthday in an ORR shelter in California and later a foster care program in New Haven, Connecticut. His family in Fort Lauderdale—his father, stepmother, and two sisters—had completed all required vetting, background checks, and home studies, yet the Office of Refugee Resettlement repeatedly requested documents his family could not obtain, including a Haitian death certificate from territory controlled by gangs. After his sisters were released to their stepmother, Jean remained detained; ORR cited a DNA test showing his father was not his biological parent, though his father said this changed nothing. A federal judge ultimately ruled the government's process "arbitrary and capricious" and ordered Jean's release in a case where the judge noted that unlawful detention "results in an injury that really can never be remedied."

Jose Guadalupe Rojas Quintanar was pulled over for not having a driver's license in Paragould, Arkansas, and arrested. An ICE hold was discovered during the traffic stop, and he is now detained at a correctional facility in Louisiana. His wife Cesilia, who works as an Uber driver at night, is caring for their two young sons alone while managing household expenses. Cesilia is raising funds for legal fees, court travel, and living expenses to support the family during his detention.

Naseeb Naseeb, a native of India, entered the United States in June 2024 at the Mexican border and was released to live in Philadelphia while in removal proceedings. On July 15, 2026, DHS officials arrested him at a scheduled immigration check-in and detained him at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia without a bond hearing. The government relied on a July 8, 2025 ICE policy interpreting the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject all noncitizens without admission status to mandatory detention without bond eligibility. Naseeb filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing the detention violated the INA and the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause. The federal court granted his petition, finding that Naseeb should be detained under the discretionary provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not the mandatory detention statute, and that he is entitled to a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

Lázaro Benitez Carballo, a Cuban citizen who entered the United States in 2022, was taken into ICE custody on July 15, 2026, and detained at the West Tennessee Detention Facility. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his continued detention without a bond hearing. The court stayed his transfer and ordered ICE to respond to the petition, requiring them to either distinguish the case from Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft or consent to release, as that precedent prohibits detention without individualized bond hearings for noncitizens who spent significant time in the U.S. interior and are not ineligible under § 1226(c).

Juan, a 66-year-old man, was arrested during an ICE enforcement operation in a residential area on 7/15/2026. According to a video posted on Facebook by Jonathan Djcachu Hernandez, approximately 14 uniformed officers restrained Juan on the pavement. Juan had left his home that morning to buy medicine because he felt sick and did not go to work. During the arrest, Juan stated "No voy a correr" (I am not going to run) and appeared to be in pain. The exact location, Juan's full identity, and official confirmation of the arrest circumstances have not been independently corroborated.

Camila, a 5-year-old girl from Atlixco, Mexico, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in summer 2025 and was detained in federal immigration custody for 118 days, separated from her mother who lived only a few miles away in New Haven, Connecticut. Unable to be taken by her parents due to their immigration status, the government classified her as "unaccompanied." During detention, Camila was held first in a CBP detention center, then in a Connecticut shelter where she was the youngest child present, and finally in an office building converted for federal use. She saw her mother, who has a pending legal residency application, for only one hour per week. A child psychiatrist's evaluation documented that Camila experienced nightmares, anxiety about family separation, and fear expressed through play. Her mother applied for custody but waited more than 90 days without receiving a decision, as the federal government repeatedly added requirements before deeming her application complete. Camila was released three days after her attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of her detention. She is now home with her mother and newborn brother, though she continues to experience separation anxiety and sleeps with her mother at night. During the same period, more than two dozen unaccompanied immigrant children were in federal custody in Connecticut on any given day, with some held for as long as 505 days.

A delivery driver and father of three daughters was detained by ICE, creating financial and emotional hardship for his family. His detention occurred during his youngest daughter's middle school graduation. The family is raising funds to cover household expenses, legal fees, and other needs while he remains detained.

Alvaro Anastacio Garcia Tevalan, a 20-year-old Guatemalan citizen, entered the United States without authorization in November 2016 at age 11 and was released to his mother's custody in Clarion, Iowa, where he has lived for nearly a decade. He has a U.S. citizen child and maintained compliance with the terms of his release during that period. On April 29, 2026, he was arrested on a domestic abuse assault charge, and ICE took custody of him on May 1, 2026. Federal Judge Stephanie Rose ruled that the government violated his due process rights by re-detaining him without a hearing after allowing him to live freely in the country for nearly 10 years, and ordered that either he be released or given a bond hearing to determine his eligibility for release.

Florence Absosede Johnson, a 72-year-old citizen of Nigeria, was admitted to the U.S. in B-2 visitor status in October 2020 and later overstayed her authorized stay; her asylum application has been pending with USCIS since June 2024 and she held a valid work permit through December 2026. She has no criminal history. Johnson is insulin-dependent with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and a diagnosed psychotic disorder, requiring nightly insulin, twice-daily glucose testing, metformin, and aripiprazole. ICE arrested her on July 14, 2026 at Los Angeles International Airport as she boarded a domestic flight, and she has since been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for 27 days without any Notice to Appear being filed or produced. Her counsel made three attempts to obtain a custody/bond hearing from the Adelanto Immigration Court, all of which were rejected on shifting and contradictory administrative grounds, while EOIR's own systems disagreed about whether a removal case was even pending. Counsel also reported that Johnson went several days without her metformin and aripiprazole medications, with no confirmation the interruption was resolved. She filed a habeas petition and TRO application seeking release, a custody hearing, medication continuity, and other relief. The court granted the petition in part, ordering an initial § 1226(a) bond hearing within seven days, denied outright release, dismissed her medical/conditions claims without prejudice to a civil action, ordered preservation of records and no transfer out of the district without notice, and required Respondents to file a status report on her medications within 48 hours.

Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, was fatally shot by ICE officer David Brouillette during a traffic stop in Biddeford, Maine on July 13-14, 2026. Durán Guerrero was lawfully present in the U.S. with work authorization and a Social Security number, working as a food delivery and custodian driver while living with his partner Karolina Rojas and their 3-year-old daughter. He was not the target of the ICE enforcement operation; agents were surveilling a nearby address for someone with a final order of removal. When ICE attempted to stop his vehicle as it left the area, Durán Guerrero's vehicle attempted to leave and the officer fired five times, striking him in the head. His vehicle was then rammed by an ICE vehicle, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Neighbors and community members described him as quiet, dedicated, a good father, and a valued community member. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin initially ordered a pause in traffic stops following the shooting, but President Trump reversed the decision. The FBI declined to conduct a civil rights investigation, though the officer was later revealed to have a history of abusive and violent behavior and possible inadequate vetting. The shooting occurred six days after another fatal ICE shooting in Houston and prompted protests in Biddeford and calls from Maine officials including Governor Janet Mills and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree for thorough investigation. Durán Guerrero's family is seeking to send his body to Colombia for burial, with the Colombian embassy providing assistance.

On July 14, 2026, ICE agents conducted a targeted enforcement operation on residential streets in Laguna Vista, Texas, near South Padre Island. Witness Samantha Alarcón reported that multiple unmarked vehicles with masked agents pursued an SUV at high speed through narrow 20-mph residential streets, nearly running her off the road while she was driving with her son. After the SUV stopped in a home's driveway, the driver and another passenger fled on foot. An 18-year-old U.S. citizen remained in the back seat. Alarcón alleged agents entered a neighbor's yard, drew weapons, and pointed a gun at the teen. ICE said an agent drew his weapon when the teen began reaching into a tool bag after failing to follow orders, and that a knife was later found in the bag. Agents released the teen after determining he was a U.S. citizen. Alarcón drove the teen home, describing him as crying in fear while talking to his mother on the phone. ICE denied a vehicle pursuit occurred but confirmed "targeted enforcement arrests" in the area. Local police officers with body-worn cameras were also present at the scene.

Styrobert, a defected Venezuelan military officer who fled Venezuela in 2019 after opposing government corruption and human rights violations, was taken into custody at his routine ICE check-in appointment on July 14, 2026, despite appearing with his attorney and having a pending asylum petition. The ICE officer aggressively confined him to a separate room, insulted his attorney, and confiscated his phone, wallet, and clothing. Styrobert was transferred between multiple detention facilities—ICE Baltimore to Farmville, Virginia; then to Richmond ICE processing center; and finally to Wynn Detention Center in Louisiana. His attorney filed a Habeas Corpus Petition on 7/17 and a Temporary Restraining Order on 7/19 to prevent further transfers or deportation. Styrobert faces grave danger if deported to Venezuela, where he is considered an "Enemy of the State" and would face imprisonment and torture in the country's notorious prisons.

Samantha Weber Alarcón, a Laguna Vista resident, was driving with her son to a movie theater when she became caught in the middle of an ICE high-speed chase through residential streets. As she drove down Mesquite Drive, an unmarked Ford Escape sped past her without sirens, hitting a speed bump so hard that she had to swerve right to avoid collision. She witnessed ICE agents pull a gun on a young man in the backseat of the Ford and place him in handcuffs. Weber Alarcón called 911 and confronted the agents about their dangerous driving, photographing the scene. The man in the backseat was later identified as a U.S. citizen and released. ICE disputed her account of a high-speed chase, claiming they were conducting targeted enforcement and the vehicle was "abandoned." The man disputed ICE's claims about his age and alleged weapon, describing it as a shingle cutter in his tool bag.