Human Impact Project

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and ran a small construction business, was fatally shot by an ICE officer while driving his crew to a job site in Houston's Magnolia Park neighborhood. Officers said he 'weaponized' his van and rammed an ICE vehicle, prompting an agent to fire in self-defense, but witnesses and his family dispute this, saying officers fired from the side of the van without warning and that he was not the intended target of the operation. He had no criminal record, was close to obtaining legal status and a work permit, and left behind his wife and three U.S.-citizen sons. His death prompted protests in Houston, calls for an independent investigation from Democratic lawmakers, and a pledge from Mexico's government to pursue criminal complaints in U.S. courts.

Three residents of Addison County were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) agents in the parking lot of MiddTown Dental on Court Street in Middlebury early Tuesday morning. Masked, armed federal agents converged on a vehicle in the lot; witnesses reported seeing agents cuffing and taking away at least one man. According to Rachel Elliott of Migrant Justice, none of the three detainees appeared to be children, though their identities, backgrounds, and immigration status details were not immediately disclosed. Migrant Justice, an organization serving immigrant farmworkers in Vermont, was checking on the detainees' status and providing information to their families about the legal process.

Mario Bojorjes, a North Liberty construction worker and father of three with a pending permanent residency case, was detained by ICE on July 7 after an Iowa State Trooper stopped him on Interstate 80 for a window tint violation. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted an immigration inquiry that led to Bojorjes' arrest. He has no criminal record and was his family's primary source of income. Bojorjes is currently being held on an ICE hold at the Linn County Jail.

ICE arrested at least five immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza immigration courthouse in New York after a federal judge ordered a halt to the practice in May. The Justice Department is fighting to conceal details about the arrests, while an ICE supervisor defended the courthouse arrests as safer than street arrests due to community intervention efforts. Of the five arrested in late June, three were immediately released without explanation, while two remain detained awaiting habeas corpus petitions. One arrestee was from the Dominican Republic and another from Ecuador.

Erianny Rodriguez Balza, a Venezuelan woman with active Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was detained by ICE at Eloy Detention Center in Arizona for approximately 9 months. Court filings show that a federal government attorney acknowledged her legal status, yet she remained in detention despite this acknowledgment. She was eventually released after the wrongful detention.

During an ICE enforcement operation over the Independence Day weekend, five individuals with criminal convictions were arrested across multiple states. Radimir Thompson-Nagle, a Panamanian citizen, was arrested in Brooklyn with convictions for murder and assault. Marcos Rubio-Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in North Carolina with convictions for second-degree murder and kidnapping. Roberto Gutierrez-Diaz, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Kentucky with convictions for sodomy, sexual abuse of minors, attempted rape, and burglary. Francisco Olmedo-Silva, a Mexican citizen, was arrested with convictions spanning Oregon, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania for drug trafficking, conspiracy, escaping from custody, and robbery. Pedro Mazorra-Herrera, a Cuban citizen, was arrested in Miami with convictions for aggravated stalking, resisting an officer with violence, burglary with assault or battery, and cocaine possession.

A Venezuelan family of three — father Freddys Padilla Revilla, pregnant mother Edgarianny Gervis, and their 7-year-old daughter — say they have been held at the Dilley Detention Center for over a month after attempting to self-deport to Venezuela. The couple had lived legally in Pecos, Texas for three years, working and maintaining ICE check-ins, and sought to leave voluntarily after discovering Edgarianny was pregnant. They say that at a July 6 ICE check-in appointment, after signing forms waiving their rights and withdrawing their appeal, they were arrested and transferred to Dilley instead of being sent home. The family says Edgarianny has not received proper medical care or an ultrasound, and their daughter has said she 'wants to die' while detained, prompting them to seek help from Sen. Katie Britt.

A Georgian citizen who was paroled into the United States on May 8, 2023 to pursue a pending asylum application was detained by ICE on July 6, 2026 at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She filed a habeas petition challenging her detention and seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent removal, arguing violations of due process rights and procedural requirements under immigration law. The federal court denied her emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and stay of removal, finding it lacked jurisdiction over the removal order and finding insufficient grounds for the extraordinary relief sought.

Two noncitizens, who entered the United States without inspection several years prior and were not encountered by immigration officials at the border, were arrested and detained by ICE on July 6, 2026. They were not presented with properly executed warrants at the time of arrest nor informed of the basis for their arrests. A federal court granted their habeas corpus petition, finding the warrantless arrests violated 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(2), and ordered their immediate release. The court ruled that if the government seeks to re-detain them, it must provide seven days' notice and hold a bond hearing.

Javier Cortez Sanchez, a hardworking father and husband with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE in Joliet after being mistaken for another person. He is the primary financial provider for his family and has left behind a young son who asks daily when his father will return. His family is struggling with his absence and seeking legal support to bring him home, as Javier experiences depression and despair in detention.

Kubanych, a community interpreter, was detained by ICE in October 2025 while interpreting for another asylum seeker at California City Detention Center in Delano, California. After 8 months of detention, community advocacy efforts secured his release. He has since been reunited with his wife and four young children in Kyrgyzstan. During his detention, he experienced abuse and malnourishment, losing 40 pounds, and was denied care for serious health conditions.

A 74-year-old grandfather was detained by ICE on June 12 while traveling to work in the Magnolia Boulevard area of Riverside, California. His family described him as a dedicated provider and caregiver who has consistently worked to support his family and grandchildren over the years. The family launched fundraising efforts on GoFundMe and Instagram to raise bail and support costs needed to secure his release and help him reunite with his family.

David Streever, a Rochester resident and former journalist, sent a critical email to then-acting ICE director Todd Lyons in January 2026 criticizing federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, including a fatal shooting by federal officers. Months later, while Streever was traveling in Finland with his daughter, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents visited his home and delivered an unsigned warning form to his wife, alleging the email may have violated federal law by threatening a federal official. After returning to the United States, agents tracked Streever to a hotel near JFK Airport and left a business card. Streever's attorney stated the email contained no threats and characterized the visits as an attempt to suppress his First Amendment rights to free speech and petition. On July 6, 2026, Streever's attorney filed a federal lawsuit through the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, arguing the email was protected political speech.

Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez, a 37-year-old Mexican national who had been deported twice previously, was arrested after operating a drone in restricted airspace near Centennial Olympic Park during the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta on June 12. Federal agents observed him operating the drone from a parking lot, where he was recording video of the event. After confirming his unlawful presence in the United States, he was taken into custody and transferred to ICE. He faces federal charges for operating a drone in a temporary flight restricted zone and illegal reentry after prior deportations. ICE arrested Jose Garrido-Benitez, 51, on July 6 after he was caught flying a drone in a no-fly zone 2.5 miles from Arrowhead Stadium on July 3. Garrido-Benitez, a Mexican national, was detained for unlawful presence in the United States. ICE stated he had prior convictions and had been removed from the U.S. in 2003 before unlawfully reentering.

Ignacio Carrizalez, a Mexican national with work authorization and an active citizenship application, was detained by ICE agents on April 28, 2026, after Evans City Police stopped his vehicle for an expired registration. ICE agents surrounded his car, and after he refused to answer questions about his citizenship status, he was taken to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez, a U.S. citizen, reported agents removed him "violently" from the vehicle. While detained, Carrizalez missed a scheduled permanent residency hearing on June 1st, and an immigration judge subsequently ordered him to either self-deport or be deported. On June 26, 2026, he was unexpectedly released after more than two months in custody, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a facility in Mexico, with his deportation date postponed to September 2026. His wife testified before Butler County Commissioners about the financial and psychological toll on their six-year-old daughter with autism, who experienced nightmares, and the family applied for public assistance following his arrest.

An Eritrean asylum seeker entered the United States in September 2023 and has a pending asylum application. He was detained on July 5, 2026, and is currently held in ICE custody at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing that his continued detention without an individualized custody determination violates his due process rights. He also moved for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction seeking either a custody redetermination hearing or immediate release, and requested an expedited hearing. The court denied the motions, finding that he showed no threat of imminent harm beyond ordinary detention hardships and was effectively trying to obtain the ultimate relief sought in his habeas petition through emergency motions. The court noted he had only been detained for one month and provided no basis to prioritize his case over the 1,406 other alien detainee habeas petitions pending in the district.

A party worker from India entered the United States without inspection in March 2022 and was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol. He timely filed an asylum application on August 12, 2022, seeking asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection based on political opinion, and had been faithfully conducting ICE reporting check-ins. On February 16, 2026, he was arrested by local police for assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation at a convenience store where he worked as a clerk; he claims the charge was subsequently dropped. On July 5, 2026, he was arrested by ICE during a routine supervision check-in and taken into custody at Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California. He filed a habeas corpus petition challenging his re-detention without a bond hearing as a violation of his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The federal court granted his petition in part, finding that 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not § 1225(b), governs his detention, and ordered respondents to provide him an individualized bond hearing within 14 days before an immigration judge where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a danger to the community or flight risk.

Alejandro Emilio Visbal Mendoza, an asylum-seeker from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was deported to Venezuela and died when the building where deportees were being housed collapsed following devastating earthquakes. His family spent days searching through hospital lists, morgues, and social media after losing contact with him following his deportation flight.

Multiple ICE agents were recorded engaging in physical violence with a man outside Sentara BelleHarbour Hospital Emergency Room in Suffolk, Virginia. According to witness accounts shared on social media, after the man was thrown to the ground, agents punched and kicked him while he had his hands up in a compliant position. The incident occurred in broad daylight at the corner of Bridge Road and Plummer Boulevard.

Ricardo, a father described by his family as a loving and hardworking provider, was detained by ICE agents on July 4th in Phelan, San Bernardino County, California. According to a family social media post, he was taken by masked agents on Saturday morning. His daughter Naydelin created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for immigration legal fees, bond if available, and household bills to support the family during his detention.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Dominican Republic native and baseball standout at Savannah State University, was detained by ICE agents on July 3, 2026, outside his girlfriend's apartment complex in Clifton Park, New York. Sandoval, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration on a full athletic scholarship and had recently been named MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game. According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, ICE agents blocked his car as he was leaving for the gym and followed him to the apartment door; during the encounter, his phone was broken and his state ID was lost. DHS stated that Sandoval's F-1 student visa was terminated in April 2025 after he failed to adhere to visa requirements. He was held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center pending removal proceedings. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $12,000 for legal representation, and Savannah State's president Dr. Jermaine Whirl worked with the family and an immigration attorney to secure his release.

Hebert Kaleth Ibarra Castro, a 20-year-old mariachi musician, was arrested by ICE on June 25, 2026, at a traffic stop in China Grove, Texas, while returning from a musical performance in his mariachi outfit. Castro arrived in the U.S. at age 4 on a B-2 visa fleeing violence in Mexico; ICE claims he entered illegally, though his wife states the visa expired in 2020. He was detained at a South Texas ICE facility where he remained in his mariachi attire for nearly 18 hours before being allowed to change clothes. ICE agents allegedly mocked and discriminated against him because of his traditional mariachi clothing. While in custody on July 4, Castro performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' His wife, Marisol Pantosi, is a U.S. citizen and filed his green card application shortly before his detention. State and federal lawmakers, including State Rep. Barbara Garvin Hawkins and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, have publicly called for his release, and mariachi artists nationwide have rallied to demand his freedom.

Tareq Alkhudari, a legal permanent resident living in Brooklyn, NY, was detained by ICE on July 3 as he was leaving his apartment. He was taken to a detention center in Louisiana without warning and is reported to be separated from his medications and basic needs. He is "a writer, filmmaker, and activist who has dedicated his life to fighting for freedom and justice for marginalized groups. As an art teacher, he is cherished by his students and their families, inspiring creativity and hope in those around him." His friends have launched a fundraising campaign to cover his bail bond, legal fees, and travel expenses to help secure his release and return to New York.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested by ICE on Sunday while driving to a soccer game in Salt Lake City. His wife Veronica reported that the family was not expecting to be caught in the enforcement sweep, having no criminal record and paying taxes yearly. Their 13-year-old son was traumatized by the arrest. DHS stated that Arturo had illegally reentered the United States and would be held for deportation. The arrest occurred during an ICE surge in which the agency detained more than 10,000 people in five days following orders to increase arrest rates.

A 56-year-old Mexican citizen who entered the United States lawfully on a border-crossing visa in 1994 and has resided in the US for 32 years. She was apprehended by Immigration and Naturalization Services during an airport raid following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, released on $10,000 bond, and accepted Voluntary Departure from Denver Immigration Court in 2004. On July 3, 2026, she was arrested by ICE at Denver International Airport while attempting to board a domestic flight and was detained without being told the reason for her arrest or given documentation regarding her detention. She filed a Verified Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus challenging her detention as improper under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a). The respondents did not oppose the petition. Judge Regina M. Rodriguez granted her habeas petition and ordered her immediate release within 24 hours, with release conditions limited to those specified in 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(3), and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a hearing where they must prove by clear and convincing evidence that re-detention is warranted.

An Indian citizen who entered the U.S. on July 15, 2023, was detained on July 3, 2026, when he appeared at a local ICE office for a routine check-in appointment. He had been released on his own recognizance in an Alternatives to Detention program and had a pending asylum application with valid employment authorization. The court found his detention violated due process and ordered his immediate release, prohibiting future detention without seven days' notice and a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter.

An immigration detainee held at California City Detention Center filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging her detention. Respondents argued she was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(c)(1)(A) due to a 2014 petty theft conviction under California Penal Code § 484(a), claiming this made her inadmissible as having committed a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT). However, the court found that she qualifies for the petty offense exception because she has only one CIMT conviction, the petty theft offense carries a maximum penalty of less than one year (6 months), and she was sentenced to 180 days or less. The court rejected respondents' argument that a separate simple battery conviction disqualified her from the exception, noting that simple battery is not categorically a CIMT. The court granted the petition for writ of habeas corpus and ordered respondents to provide her with a bond hearing before a neutral arbiter pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) within seven days, or release her if they fail to do so.

Oxana's father was detained by ICE and deported to Peru after living in the United States for 36 years. He has just arrived in Peru and is struggling to meet basic living expenses as he rebuilds his life in a country where he has no established support system. His family, now separated by thousands of miles, created a GoFundMe to help him cover food, hygiene items, clothing, transportation, and other daily necessities during this transition.

A lawful permanent resident with a valid green card was unexpectedly detained by ICE at an airport in Michigan while returning home from a family vacation. He has lived in the United States since childhood. He is now facing immigration proceedings that could separate him from his home and family. His supporters are fundraising for legal representation to help him fight his case.

Two Lane County residents identified by initials H-F-M-J and A-V-L were detained by ICE officers during a vehicle stop near Eugene on July 3, 2026. According to legal petitions filed by Catholic Community Services of Lane County, the officers boxed in the vehicle without displaying arrest warrants, explaining the reason for the stop, or identifying themselves as immigration officials. The petitions allege the arrests were based solely on the detainees' perceived race and ethnicity rather than individualized assessment of flight risk or immigration status, and claim officers failed to inquire about family, employment, or community ties. ICE stated the detainees were arrested during a targeted enforcement action and that warrants had been issued for both men.

ICE conducted enforcement operations at two laundromats in southern Madison on Tuesday, July 3, 2026, detaining five people total—three at the Fish Hatchery Road location and two at the Todd Drive location (Little Big Load Laundromat). According to laundromat owners Roger and Nancy Hansen, one detainee was bloodied after being slammed to the floor during the operation. The apprehension at Todd Drive occurred just after 1:45 p.m., with witnesses reporting two or three unidentified men were taken. Madison police reviewed video of the apprehension but were not requested to respond or informed of the operation by ICE. The detentions were part of a broader series of ICE enforcement operations across Wisconsin, with at least 10 people detained in the Madison area and 39 arrested statewide.

Seyo Cecunjanin, a West Hartford restaurant and laundry business owner from Montenegro, was arrested by ICE on June 20, 2026, in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot surrounded by five unmarked vehicles while with two of his sons. He was detained at Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island for approximately 12 days. Cecunjanin entered the U.S. in 1997 using a fraudulent passport and had an outstanding removal order, but had been permitted to reenter in 2024 and maintained valid work authorization at the time of his arrest. He owns two restaurants and a laundry business employing 15 people and has a pending permanent resident application filed in September 2023. U.S. Rep. John Larson and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with other members of Connecticut's congressional delegation, held a press conference and sent letters to ICE demanding his release, citing his valid work authorization and pending immigration case. Cecunjanin was released on June 26, 2026 (or July 2, 2026 according to another account).

During a surge in ICE enforcement in late June 2026, three men were arrested at federal courthouses in Lower Manhattan in apparent violation of a federal judge's order issued the previous week restricting courthouse arrests. An Ecuadorian man was arrested at an immigration court inside 26 Federal Plaza, a Guatemalan man at 290 Broadway, and a man from the Dominican Republic was also arrested at 290 Broadway. The arrests occurred during a broader ICE enforcement operation in which the agency detained over 10,000 people in five days after being instructed to make 2,000 arrests per day. Legal advocates with Make the Road New York filed challenges claiming the arrests violated due process rights and court orders prohibiting immigration enforcement in courthouses.

A Venezuelan man who entered the United States in July 2022 was initially apprehended by immigration officials and released pending removal proceedings, after which he lived in Portland, Oregon. He was re-detained on July 2, 2026, apparently without any notice beforehand, and has a pending application for Temporary Protected Status. He did not receive a bond hearing until a month after his re-detention. He is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center and filed a habeas petition along with a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing that a transfer out of the district would strip the court of jurisdiction over his case and harm his ability to pursue relief and stay in contact with family members. The court found he was likely detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than subject to mandatory detention, and that the lack of an individualized hearing at the outset of his re-detention likely violated due process under the Mathews test. The court granted the temporary restraining order, barring his removal or transfer to another facility, and ordered a preliminary injunction hearing and briefing schedule within 14 days.

An Egyptian citizen entered the United States in June 2024 without inspection and was released on his own recognizance into removal proceedings. He settled in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, where he worked at a diner and had no criminal record. On July 2, 2026, he was arrested while walking along a road by local police, who turned him over to ICE, and he has since been detained without bond at the Pike County Correctional Facility. He has no final order of removal. He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing he was being unlawfully held under the INA's mandatory detention provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b), rather than the discretionary provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles detainees to a bond hearing, and that his detention without a bond hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The court agreed, finding that § 1225(b)(2)(A) applies only to noncitizens actively seeking admission at the border, not those already residing in the U.S., and granted the petition. The court ordered Respondents to immediately release him and permanently enjoined them from detaining him under § 1225(b), though he may be redetained under § 1226(a) with notice and a timely bond hearing before an immigration judge.

Jose Acosta, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras who had lived in the U.S. since 2018 while awaiting a green card decision, was detained on July 2 while sitting in his parked truck outside a construction job site in Harmar, Pennsylvania. Springdale Borough police and ICE, operating under a 287(g) task force agreement signed in November, carried out the joint arrest and transported him to ICE's field office in Pittsburgh. Aside from a 2023 traffic stop, Acosta had no other encounters with law enforcement. His wife, Yaquelin Vasques, is now raising their three children alone and said she hopes he could be released in two to three years.

An Indian citizen who entered the U.S. in 2018 without inspection was detained on July 2, 2026, following a traffic stop by Indiana State Police in Indianapolis. ICE determined he was eligible for removal proceedings and issued a warrant under 8 U.S.C. § 1226. He was placed in full removal proceedings but held at Clay County Jail without receiving a bond hearing. The court granted his habeas petition, ordering the government to either provide him an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge or release him within ten days.

Lesli Vaca Díaz, a 29-year-old Colombian national nearly seven months pregnant, was struck by a Border Patrol agent near Douglas, Arizona on July 2 after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. She was knocked to her knees, pulled up by her jacket, and slammed against a truck while repeatedly stating she was pregnant. She was hospitalized at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson after medical staff determined she was at risk of early labor. Vaca Díaz was held incommunicado and prevented from contacting family or an attorney until July 4, according to her attorney Luis Campos. She is now in ICE custody at Eloy Detention Center.

Jose Raul Martinez-Alvarado, 40, from Honduras, was arrested by New Bedford Police on June 7 after officers found him in an apartment where a group of men were fighting and residual cocaine was present. He was charged with possession of a large capacity firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and resisting arrest. Martinez-Alvarado posted $1,000 bail and was released from Bristol County Jail on June 9. He was then picked up by ICE on July 2. The case became the subject of a public dispute between Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux and ICE Boston, after ICE posted on social media that the jail violated federal law by releasing him without honoring an ICE detainer, citing Massachusetts law that prevents law enforcement from holding individuals solely on the basis of immigration status.

An unidentified man was detained by ICE in White Center, Seattle on July 2, 2026. According to a social media account, he was taken into custody from a vehicle while his young daughter was in the backseat. The man's mother arrived to take the child, and bystanders reported she told ICE officers the family had immigration paperwork, but he was detained anyway. Neighbors gathered at the scene, using whistles, recording, and calling 911 in response to the enforcement action.

A mother and her child were detained by ICE agents in Houston, Texas on July 2, 2026. According to the post, ICE agents used two vehicles to stop the mother's car in a parking lot near an apartment complex around 2:30 p.m. A video of the incident shows the child pleading for help as her mother was taken into custody.

Liliana, a mother of two U.S.-based children, was detained by ICE during a routine check-in in May 2017 and subsequently deported to El Salvador despite intensive advocacy efforts by immigrant rights organizations in the Washington, DC metro area, including press conferences and intervention from elected officials. The article documents her struggle to rebuild her life as a deportee facing violence, unemployment, and social stigmatization in El Salvador.

Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested by ICE in Salt Lake City on Sunday, June 30, 2026, while on his way to a soccer game. His wife Veronica reported the arrest shattered their family. According to immigration attorney Ysabel Lonazco in Utah, the detention occurred during a broader ICE enforcement surge in late June.

A Nicaraguan father of two children was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in appointment on Monday, despite having an immigration court hearing already scheduled for 2027, according to his immigration attorney Cindy Blandon in Miami. The arrest occurred during a surge in which ICE detained more than 10,000 people over five days following White House directives to increase enforcement operations.

Victor Luna Lopez, a Mexican national residing in the U.S. since 2004, was detained by ICE while working as a roofer after agents observed workers on a private property roof using a drone and conducted document verification. Luna Lopez holds military parole status due to his daughter's active service in the U.S. military, which his family and attorney argue should protect him from detention. He is being held at El Valle Detention Center while his family pursues legal action and public support for his release.

Two federal judges in Iowa held ICE Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer Quintin Erdman in civil contempt for knowingly and willfully transferring detainee Pardeep Saini from Iowa to Nebraska in direct violation of a court order blocking such transfers. In a separate case, detainee Osmar Jose Arraiz Montilla was transferred between federal judicial districts while his case was pending. The judges sharply criticized ICE officials for a pattern of repeatedly violating court orders in immigration cases, with one judge warning that noncitizens are not 'bargaining chips' to be moved based on litigation strategy.

Fourteen anti-ICE protesters affiliated with Direct Action Minnesota and the Black Cat Workers' Collective pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to impede immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. The group is accused of tracking officers and setting up blockades around the Whipple Federal Building. A 15th defendant, Kyle Wagner, remains jailed after being charged in February. The court proceedings focused on managing discovery of 20 terabytes of evidence, primarily Signal chat messages between defendants.

Jeane Wong, a prominent immigration enforcement protester in San Diego, was sentenced last month to 45 days of home detention after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal officer during a law enforcement operation at an apartment complex in Linda Vista in early July. Wong told the judge in asking for a lighter sentence that she had unmasked an agent whom she said had assaulted someone else during the operation.

A Guatemalan man was the target of a federal law enforcement operation in early July at an apartment complex in Linda Vista where agents in face coverings and unmarked vehicles served a warrant. As he backed his car into a parking spot, agents surrounded his vehicle and broke his window. He was accused of striking a government vehicle as he reversed. According to his attorney, his car was surrounded by law enforcement vehicles and the agent had just broken his window. Federal prosecutors dismissed the assault charge, saying they "received additional information that has caused the pursuit of this prosecution to be reevaluated." The incident also resulted in charges against three other individuals present during the operation.

A Mexican citizen and father who has lived continuously in the United States for approximately thirty years, since his entry around 1996, is married to a U.S. citizen spouse, and together they have a 14-year-old U.S. citizen son who has learning disabilities. He has no criminal history and no final order of removal. On July 1, 2026, he was arrested and detained by ICE and was held without a bond hearing at the Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania. He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that his detention under the mandatory detention provision of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) was unlawful because that provision applies only to noncitizens actively seeking admission, not longtime residents, who are instead subject to the discretionary detention provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles them to a bond hearing. On July 30, 2026, Judge Robert D. Mariani of the Middle District of Pennsylvania granted the petition, ordered the government to immediately release him, and permanently enjoined the government from detaining him under § 1225(b) absent a compelling change in circumstances, while requiring notice and a timely individualized bond hearing for any future detention under § 1226(a).