Human Impact Project

During summer 2025 ICE raids in Southern California, federal agents arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants in neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes. Giovanni, a Salvadoran worker at a car wash in the San Fernando Valley, was detained for six months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center after refusing to sign deportation documents, while three coworkers were quickly deported to Mexico. His family was left without his income and faced potential displacement.

Abdullahi Mohamed, a Somali refugee who had lived in the U.S. for decades with his family, was detained and then rapidly transferred within five days across Massachusetts, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas before being deported to Somalia. He reported being beaten and shackled during transfers and enduring long periods without food or water. ICE did not respond to his lawyer's requests for release and ignored habeas petition efforts. Mohamed has no family or means of support in Somalia and his wife remains in hiding due to her immigration status.

Esteban, a Hispanic man charged with attempted homicide, was arrested by ICE agents in Los Angeles while heading to work and transferred to the Adelanto immigrant detention center in California's Mojave Desert. At the facility, operated by private company GEO Group, he felt compelled to join the prison gang Los Paisas to protect himself from violence, eventually becoming one of the gang's leaders and serving as an informal intermediary between detainees and guards. After nearly a year at Adelanto, he was released and returned to Los Angeles. The detention center has faced complaints of abuse, medical negligence, poor food, overcrowding, and deaths of migrants.

Ernesto Puac Son, a 33-year-old roofer and legal resident of Stuart, Florida, with a valid work permit and pending asylum case, has lived in the United States for 18 years. On October 1, 2025, FDLE agents conducted a traffic stop near his house after he made a rolling stop. Puac refused to exit his van because he had just witnessed agents arresting his brother Felipe, who had a deportation order but no criminal history. FDLE agent John Soltys smashed Puac's van window and dragged him through the broken glass, pinning him face-down on the ground and leaving him with gashes on his face, back, and arms. Despite showing a valid Florida driver's license, Puac was charged with resisting arrest with violence. He was convicted on January 7, 2026, and sentenced to one year in Martin County Jail. FDLE was operating under the 287(g) program, which authorizes state and local law enforcement to enforce immigration law.

Mohamed Fofana, a 22-year-old asylum seeker from Guinea employed at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, was detained by ICE on November 11, 2025, near his home. He was held for seven months in detention facilities in Batavia and La Salle County, Texas. In February 2026, his attorney reported losing contact with him for a month due to facility transfer confusion, and an immigration judge granted a 45-day continuance. An immigration judge ordered his deportation in May 2026, but a federal judge vacated that order and approved his habeas corpus petition in June 2026. Fofana was released and returned to Syracuse on June 7-9, 2026, to reunite with his family.

An immigration detainee who entered the United States without inspection in 2007 and established deep community ties in Utah over nineteen years was arrested by ICE on June 8, 2026, while on his way to work in Salt Lake City. He was transferred between immigration detention facilities in Utah, Wyoming, and California without receiving an individualized custody determination or bond hearing. The court granted his petition for writ of habeas corpus in part, ordering respondents to either conduct a bond hearing before a neutral decisionmaker within seven days or cease his detention.

Ronnie Price, a 40-year-old national of Trinidad and Tobago, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of statutory rape. Before naturalizing in 2016, Price had sexual intercourse with a female under age 16, a crime to which he eventually pled guilty. During his naturalization proceedings, Price falsely claimed he had never committed a crime. The Department of Justice filed denaturalization action seeking to revoke his citizenship based on his false testimony and concealment of material facts during the naturalization process.

Fernando Cristancho, a 69-year-old ordained Roman Catholic priest from Colombia, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. Cristancho entered the United States as a religious worker and used his leadership position in the church to gain access to minor victims. He sexually groomed and abused a minor parishioner from age 11 to 13. Cristancho pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement and admitted to egregious conduct involving other minor victims, resulting in a 22-year prison sentence. The Department of Justice alleges he hid his ongoing crimes from immigration officials, thereby illegally procuring his naturalization through concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentation of his sexual activity.

Louise Hunkporti, a 64-year-old native of Congo, is facing denaturalization after using a falsified identity to obtain U.S. citizenship. In 1995, Hunkporti applied for and was denied an immigration benefit. After being denied, Hunkporti adopted a new identity and submitted a falsified application under that assumed identity. She naturalized as a U.S. citizen on March 2, 2010 under the adopted identity. After USCIS digitized its paper fingerprint cards, the Department of Justice discovered that Hunkporti's fingerprints from her 2010 naturalization matched those she submitted in her 1995 denied application. The complaint alleges eight counts for her numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts.

Federico Michel Fermin, a 54-year-old Dominican Republic native, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs wholesale without a license. From September 2004 through August 2005, Fermin conspired with others to distribute more than $1.7 million in prescription drugs, altering drug packaging to make them appear legitimately sourced. A jury convicted him in 2011, and he was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment. During his naturalization process, Fermin falsely testified under penalty of perjury that he had never knowingly committed any unreported crime. The Department of Justice alleges he illegally procured his citizenship through misrepresentation and concealment of material facts.

Neeraj Sharma, a 50-year-old Indian native and owner/CEO of staffing company Magnavision LLC in New Jersey, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of fraud and misuse of visas. As an officer of Magnavision, Sharma signed and filed eleven fraudulent H-1B visa petitions with USCIS, falsely representing that visa beneficiaries would be employed with a particular global financial institution and including forged signatures of executives on corporate letterhead. In 2017, Sharma applied for naturalization and falsely asserted under penalty of perjury that he had never committed crimes, provided false information to U.S. officials, or lied to gain immigration benefits. He naturalized in December 2017. The Department of Justice seeks to revoke his citizenship.

Armando Mendoza, a 39-year-old Mexican native, is facing denaturalization after pleading guilty to receipt of sexually explicit images of minors. Beginning in 2009, Mendoza knowingly received such images. During his 2011 naturalization application and interview, he falsely claimed under oath that he had never committed a crime for which he was not arrested. He naturalized later that year. In 2013, Mendoza pled guilty to receipt of child sexual abuse material. The Department of Justice alleges he committed crimes involving moral turpitude during the period required to demonstrate good moral character and willfully misrepresented material facts during naturalization proceedings.

Talman Harris, a 49-year-old Jamaican native, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of securities fraud and wire fraud. Over an eight-year period, including during his 2012-2014 naturalization proceedings, Harris conspired to manipulate stock prices in publicly traded companies, causing more than $54 million in investments and approximately $39 million in investor losses. In 2016, after naturalizing, a jury found him guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The Department of Justice alleges Harris committed crimes involving moral turpitude during the period he was required to demonstrate good moral character and falsely testified about his crimes during naturalization proceedings.

Tahir Lekaj, a 43-year-old native of Yugoslavia admitted to the United States in 1999, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of sexually abusing a child under age 15. When Lekaj applied for naturalization in 2004, he falsely claimed under oath that he had never committed a crime for which he was not arrested. He naturalized in May 2005. However, in 2022, Connecticut convicted him of two counts of sexual abuse of a child, with evidence showing the victim was 10 years old when abuse began in January 2003. The Department of Justice filed a complaint alleging he illegally procured citizenship through false testimony and concealment of material facts.

Andrea Marroquin, a 44-year-old Colombian national who inherited her major drug trafficker father's assets, is facing denaturalization after obtaining permanent residence through concealment of a bigamous marriage. Between 2003 and 2011, Marroquin conspired to commit wire and bank fraud and money laundering, using her late father's drug proceeds to finance fraudulent real estate transactions in Miami, Florida. She naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2009 while concealing her criminal activities. The Department of Justice filed four denaturalization counts against her, alleging she knowingly lied to immigration authorities and lacked good moral character.

Jean Claude Alfred, a 68-year-old Haitian native who naturalized in 1994, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of sexual abuse of his minor daughter. Alfred began repeatedly sexually abusing his daughter in September 1993, approximately one month before filing his naturalization application, and continued the abuse during his naturalization proceedings. During naturalization, Alfred falsely represented under oath that he had not committed any unreported crimes. A Florida jury convicted him in 1996 of attempted sexual battery and lewd assault upon a child. The Department of Justice alleges he illegally procured citizenship through false testimony and concealment of material facts.

Jose Alejandro Cocmaxsolovid and Jose Luis Mejia Lopez, both Guatemalan nationals, were detained by ICE on June 8, 2026, at their place of work and residence in Waterloo, Iowa. According to immigrant advocacy groups, both men are workers with strong community ties and are not dangerous criminals. The detention is part of ICE enforcement actions following Congress's $70 billion funding increase for immigration enforcement, with advocacy groups expressing concern that the agency is increasingly targeting immigrants with community connections.

Leidys Delmas Garcia, a 54-year-old Cuban native, is facing denaturalization after being convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Garcia and co-conspirators operated 30 physical therapy clinics in Florida that fraudulently billed Blue Cross Blue Shield approximately $36.7 million for medically unnecessary or non-provided services. During her naturalization interview, Garcia falsely testified under penalty of perjury that she had not committed crimes and had never provided false information to U.S. government officials. The Department of Justice filed denaturalization action seeking to revoke her citizenship.

Thien, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1984 at age 3 and became a permanent resident, lost his green card status at 16 due to a mistake. After serving his sentence, he was placed on an order of supervision rather than deported because Vietnam was not accepting deportees. For 24 years, he complied with every condition of the order, maintained work authorization, built a business, and raised a family. When he attended a scheduled immigration appointment, he was detained within 10 minutes without an interview and is now facing deportation.

Akram Mahmoud Omar, 77, a Palestinian-born lawful permanent resident who lived in the United States for 50 years, was detained by ICE in October 2025 during a routine check-in at Angola prison's ICE detention facility. While in custody, Omar suffered a heart attack and underwent triple-bypass surgery. On May 29, 2026, Federal Judge Brian Jackson ordered Omar's release, finding ICE violated his constitutional rights and due process. However, on June 8, 2026, ICE re-arrested Omar at his home without warning and attempted to deport him to Israel the following morning, directly defying the judge's order. A second emergency court order forced ICE to release him again and prohibited further detention or removal pending a June 24 hearing.

Jairo Isaias Alvarado-Lopez, 38, was booked into Shawnee County Department of Corrections on June 8, 2026, following a traffic-related arrest involving allegations of operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, speeding, and unlawful vehicle registration violations. An ICE detainer was placed on him, designated as "NO BOND." He is scheduled to appear in court on July 15, 2026.

Dy Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee who lived in the United States for 27 years, was detained by ICE for almost 8 months beginning in October 2025 before being deported to Vietnam. During his detention at Stewart Detention Center in Atlanta, his newborn son was born, whom he never physically held. His attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund pursued legal action for his release, but the case was delayed for over six months. Nguyen was shackled for 35 hours during flights and spent an additional 30 hours on buses traveling through Vietnam after deportation, separated from his family of five and his church community.

Records show a sharp rise in 911 medical calls to the ICE field office in Miramar, Florida, which has increasingly been used to hold detainees for days despite historically serving as an administrative check-in location. Detainees report being denied access to medications, crowded conditions, and lack of basic hygiene facilities. The surge in emergencies comes as concerns mount over future detention capacity with the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants.

On June 8, 2026, plainclothes ICE agents in multiple vehicles conducted an operation near the Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet at approximately 10:56 a.m. on Jefferson Street. Activists from Warehouse Workers For Justice reported witnessing and confirming an abduction from the courthouse area. The operation involved multiple sport utility vehicles including a blue Ford Edge, a black Ford Escape, and a gray Chevy Tahoe. Joliet police and Will County sheriff confirmed the agents were not their officers. ICE officials declined to provide details about the operation.

Sami Hamdi, a 35-year-old British political journalist and commentator, was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport on October 27, 2025, after his visitor visa was revoked on October 24 without prior notice. U.S. officials cited comments he made about the Middle East, Gaza, and Israel during a speaking tour—including an address at a CAIR gala in Sacramento on October 26—as the reason for the visa revocation and detention. Held in an ICE facility with approximately 90 other detainees, Hamdi received minimal contact with his family and was initially denied medical care when he became ill. After approximately two weeks in custody, federal judges found serious breaches of freedom of speech and ordered his release without charge. His wife subsequently warned British citizens, particularly those planning to attend the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., about the risks of traveling to the country under expanded ICE enforcement operations.

Beginning May 25, 2026, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, to support detainees staging a hunger strike over poor living conditions including moldy and expired food, overcrowded cells, and lack of air conditioning. The 1,000-bed facility, operated by the GEO Group under a $1 billion contract and opened in early 2025, became the site of escalating confrontations over several days. ICE agents and New Jersey State Police deployed pepper spray, tear gas, batons, and horses against demonstrators who formed human chains and used makeshift shields. Senator Andy Kim was exposed to pepper spray, a U.S. military veteran providing medical assistance was detained, and an ICE agent supervisor was filmed pushing a photographer off a public sidewalk. At least 80 people were arrested, with some charged with rioting after authorities imposed a curfew, and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver was later charged with assaulting officers. Mayor Ras Baraka announced plans to shut down the facility and to sue the GEO Group, while the state filed a lawsuit seeking unrestricted health inspections.

During an ICE operation at the Port of Astoria on June 7, 2026, federal agents pepper sprayed Astoria resident Stefanie Collar as ICE vehicles departed. Collar, who was not part of an organized observer group, confronted the vehicles at a traffic light and shouted at the agents. Video evidence showed an agent in a minivan attempted to open his door and deploy pepper spray before driving away; two additional vehicles behind the van also sprayed Collar as they passed. An ICE officer later called local police to report that agents had used pepper spray after what they characterized as a crowd swarming their vehicles.

Marco Antonio Mendoza-Cesar, a Venezuelan national, was detained by ICE agents during an operation at the Port of Astoria's Pier 1 on June 7, 2026. ICE conducted the operation on federally controlled port property without notifying Port of Astoria officials or local law enforcement. The operation raised concerns about whether it violated Oregon's sanctuary law, which prohibits state and local agencies from participating in immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant.

Osiel Barrios Parra, a 35-year-old man from Durango, Mexico, went missing after being abandoned in the Arizona desert during a border crossing. His family last communicated with him on June 7, and a third party later informed them that he was left behind near a wash on the route toward 'la aguja,' wearing camouflage clothing. The volunteer search-and-rescue group Armadillos Ni Un Migrante Menos issued an alert seeking any information about his whereabouts.

A Guatemalan national with familial ties to the United States was taken into ICE custody on June 7, 2026, based on a reinstated 2014 removal order. Despite expressing fear of returning to Guatemala due to widespread violence, ICE failed to provide the mandatory reasonable fear interview required under 8 C.F.R. § 241.8(e) during his one month of detention. The court granted a preliminary injunction ordering ICE to immediately refer him to an asylum officer for a reasonable fear determination within three days and to file a compliance status report.

A man was detained by ICE on May 21, 2026, while taking his car for repair. He has no criminal record and worked to support his family. His wife and three children have been left to manage on a single income and are struggling with rent, utilities, groceries, and other expenses, while also seeking legal representation for his immigration case.

Gerardo Reyes Gonzalez, a 44-year-old father, was arrested on March 14, 2026, during a traffic stop in San Marcos while sitting as a passenger in his 17-year-old son's truck. Police initiated the stop based on an emergency call about a vehicle matching the truck's description, though the reported incident never occurred. He was charged with Interference with Public Duties after allegedly trying to prevent his son from being removed from the vehicle. Reyes Gonzalez was transferred to ICE custody and detained for over two months. The Hays County District Attorney dropped the criminal charge on May 11, and a federal judge granted his habeas corpus petition on June 1, ordering his release. The San Marcos Police Department was found to have committed multiple policy violations, including making inaccurate statements in court documents and failing to verify facts before arrest. His daughter Lupe Sarinana credited community activism and a petition with over 200 signatures for his release.

A Guatemalan citizen was arrested and detained on June 6, 2026, at Moshannon Valley Processing Center after entering the United States without inspection around 2012. ICE agents and local police determined he was unlawfully present and detained him under what they claimed was mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A). The court ruled that he, as a noncitizen already present in the country rather than an applicant for admission, is subject to discretionary detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and granted his petition for a bond hearing before a neutral immigration judge within 10 days.

A noncitizen who has continuously resided in the United States since August 2023 was taken into ICE custody on June 6, 2026, and detained at the West Tennessee Detention Facility. He challenged his detention without an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge. The court stayed his transfer and ordered the ICE respondent to respond within two business days, requiring them to either distinguish the case from Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft or consent to the issuance of the writ if detention was under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A).

Iraqi national team striker Aymen Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours by U.S. authorities upon arrival at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During his detention, U.S. border security officials inspected his mobile phone and reviewed his documents. Hussein was eventually cleared and allowed entry to rejoin his team. However, Talal Salah, the Iraqi team's official photographer, was held for over 10 hours and ultimately denied entry to the United States.

A DHS Office of Inspector General inspection of Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana found multiple violations affecting approximately 1,500 detained immigrants. Facility staff failed to properly report use-of-force incidents including a chokehold and a pen stabbing, and did not maintain adequate sanitary conditions, proper food storage temperatures, or medical records. The facility lacked documentation of disciplinary actions or remedial training for officers involved in use-of-force incidents.

A Honduran woman who had lived in the United States for nearly three years gave birth to her U.S. citizen daughter in Brownsville, Texas in February 2026. Shortly after giving birth, she sought emergency shelter due to abuse by her partner, but was arrested on a misdemeanor charge in March 2026 (later dismissed) and separated from her five-week-old breastfeeding daughter, who was last seen with the abusive partner. She was taken into ICE custody at the Laredo Processing Center and remained detained during her ongoing removal proceedings. Her counsel submitted a humanitarian parole request in August 2026 citing her postpartum and nursing status, requesting electronic monitoring as a release condition, but received no substantive response from ICE. She filed a habeas corpus petition arguing her detention violated the Accardi Doctrine and Fifth Amendment because ICE failed to follow its own directive on detaining pregnant, postpartum, or nursing individuals. The court found she qualified as postpartum and nursing, that ICE had failed to conduct required weekly custody reevaluations, and that she was prejudiced by being unable to arrange care for her infant or continue breastfeeding, ultimately ordering her immediate release under reasonable conditions.

Yadi, a Cuban woman deported from the United States, shared a video of herself saying goodbye to her three children—Catherine, Jonathan, and Emily—at Cancún International Airport after a two-month visit. The children returned to Houston, Texas, while Yadi remained in Mexico, unable to re-enter the U.S. She described the separation as "the greatest pain imaginable" and expressed that "no family should endure such separation." Her case reflects a broader pattern: between January 2025 and March 2026, the U.S. deported nearly 13,000 third-country nationals to Mexico, with Cubans comprising 4,353 of those deportations, 26% of whom had no criminal records in the U.S.

Three noncitizens—Bruno Orlando Medina Mendoza and Jorge Manuel Escobar Quispe from Peru, and Raul Andrey Echavez Castro from Colombia—were arrested by New Britain police on June 5 as part of a sting operation targeting individuals attempting to solicit sex with minors. All three face charges including commercial sexual abuse of a minor and sexual assault. ICE lodged detainers seeking to prevent their release by Connecticut authorities.

A Romanian citizen, 52, who underwent multiple heart surgeries including an emergency triple bypass in April 2025, was arrested in July 2025 and required 16 daily medications as part of his recovery. While at an ICE field office in Baltimore, he went two days without any medication before being transferred to a New Jersey facility. Despite numerous requests from treatment providers, the detention center did not provide all 16 medications; medical records show he received only eight after his second hospital release. He was hospitalized three times while detained for chest pain related to non-compliance with his medication regimen, and in August 2025, he suffered a stroke while on a video call with his daughter.

A federal judge in California ordered the government to take a man showing signs of prostate cancer to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment. ICE lawyers told the judge that officials missed the appointment due to an "internal scheduling error." CoreCivic, which operates the facility, declined to comment on the active litigation.

A man who lost one eye and has severe glaucoma in the other, requiring twice-daily drops to maintain his remaining vision, was frequently denied his prescribed eye drops while in ICE detention. He wrote in a court declaration that his vision has deteriorated significantly, appearing "like seeing through gauze," and expressed fear that he will permanently lose his remaining sight. He is terrified he will not be able to watch his infant son grow up. His attorney characterized the denial of such obvious medical care as "brazen indifference to really obvious problems."

A Russian man saw a gastroenterologist while detained in Texas about his painful gallstones and scheduled a surgical appointment. However, he was moved to various detention centers before the appointment could occur, preventing him from receiving the necessary specialist care. His case illustrates how frequent transfers across the detention system interrupt medical treatment.

An El Salvadoran woman missed an entire week of HIV medication when she was transferred from a Colorado detention facility to a county jail in Wyoming without adequate coordination of her medical care. Detainees are frequently moved across the country without warning, interrupting critical treatment. Her case exemplifies the systemic failure to maintain continuity of medical care during transfers across ICE's sprawling detention system.

A Venezuelan man detained at a Vermont immigration facility developed a severe infection from flesh-eating bacteria on his leg after staff failed to bring him to a scheduled doctor's appointment. His leg became purple and swollen as a result of the missed care. His case is among hundreds documented across at least 33 states where detainees allege medical neglect in ICE facilities.

A Honduran mother of two was hospitalized for a heart problem after being denied blood pressure medications while detained in a Florida immigration facility. Her case is among hundreds documented across at least 33 states where detainees allege medical neglect in ICE custody.

An Albanian man held for months in a New Mexico immigration detention center experienced unbearable tooth pain that was left untreated, ultimately leading him to pull out his own tooth. His case is documented among hundreds of detainees across at least 33 states who allege severe medical neglect in ICE custody, including denied medications for chronic conditions and requests for help that go unanswered for weeks.

Vardan Gukasian, a political dissident and former paramedic from Armenia, was detained in Henderson, Nevada for over 13 months despite serious health problems including uncontrolled high blood pressure. In June 2025, while experiencing dizziness, a nosebleed, and severe headache, his cellmate and then an entire cell block banged on doors requesting medical help; assistance did not arrive until he was hospitalized that day. In a court declaration filed in March 2026, Gukasian, who spent years imprisoned in Armenia, wrote he had never witnessed such medical neglect anywhere. The city of Henderson stated medical care was always available and that no court orders for care changes had been issued.

Jose-Antonio Segismundo, 48, was detained for over seven months at the Alligator Alcatraz facility in Florida and the Folkston D Ray ICE Processing Center in Georgia with untreated abdominal cancer. He was arrested approximately five weeks before a scheduled appointment with a cancer specialist, and despite his wife providing medical records and explaining his condition to officials, he received no cancer treatment—only Tylenol for severe stomach pain. In spring 2026, he was deported to Mexico, a country he had left nearly 30 years prior. He must now restart his cancer care search in Oaxaca.

Edison Sinchi Taipe, 19, an Ecuadorian student at Framingham High School, was arrested by ICE while working a roofing job in New Hampshire to earn money for graduation expenses. He was detained and feared deportation to Ecuador, but was released in time to walk across the stage and receive his diploma on June 5, 2026. His community rallied to secure legal representation, and he now awaits an immigration hearing scheduled for July 15.