Human Impact Project

A witness recorded video of ICE agents using a vehicle to pin a Guatemalan man against a fence to detain him on Aug. 10 in Hallandale Beach. The footage sparked outrage among activists from several organizations, including the Guatemalan-Maya Center and 50501, who gathered to protest at Hallandale Beach City Hall. Advocates said the incident occurred amid an escalation in ICE activity across South Broward and North Miami following the end of TPS, and called on the Hallandale Beach Police Department to document federal misconduct and avoid partnering with ICE under 287(g) agreements.

Amina Khalifa, a 23-year-old Seattle resident from Morocco who came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2023, was arrested by ICE agents as she stepped off a flight at Sea-Tac International Airport, returning from a vacation in Puerto Rico. Her visa has expired, but she has a pending asylum application and no criminal record, and holds a work authorization permit while employed as a bank teller. Her lawyer, Olia Catala, said Khalifa fled Morocco due to fears of persecution and violence, and colleagues consider her a responsible and respected community member. She was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

On August 10, 2026, ICE agents detained at least 33 people across the Capital Region of New York, including Albany, Schenectady, and Colonie, in more than 15 separate incidents over roughly six hours. Among those detained was a family of four, including two children, who were separated and sent to two different detention facilities, with one family member transferred to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas. The Capital Region Sanctuary Coalition, which documented the incidents, said the true number detained may be higher since ICE was also seen patrolling additional neighborhoods that day.

A Guatemalan teenager who fled to the US in 2022 at age 16 to escape domestic violence has lived in the country for about four years. He was initially processed as an unaccompanied minor, held by DHS/ORR, and released to his aunt, a vetted sponsor, after being deemed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. He currently lives in Daly City with his mother, works at a Korean restaurant, and has no criminal history. On August 10, 2026, four ICE officers arrested him outside his home, handcuffed him despite his complaints of pain, and drove him to a parking structure where he was pressured to sign a document. He filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and a TRO motion challenging the lawfulness of his detention and seeking release plus protection from re-detention without notice and a hearing. The court found he was likely to succeed on his procedural due process claims and granted the TRO, ordering his immediate release, barring removal or transfer out of the district, and setting a show cause hearing for August 24, 2026.

Iliana Noeli Lick, 30, an Argentine national who legally entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and was awaiting an asylum interview with USCIS, was arrested by ICE at Philadelphia International Airport on July 11 while attempting to travel to Kansas City to watch the Argentina national team play in the World Cup quarterfinal. Lick has worked as a nanny caring for three young children in South Philadelphia for two years and has no criminal record. She was transferred between multiple ICE detention facilities in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, where she was held with nine others in a small cell with one window and one toilet. After one month in custody, Lick was released on a $10,000 bond and required to surrender her passport and license and wear an ankle monitor. She is awaiting a court date to determine whether she will be deported or allowed to remain in the country.

Haitian immigrant Monsanto Maler collapsed to the ground in tears after leaving an ICE check-in appointment in Blue Ash, Ohio on Sunday while wearing an ankle monitor. Maler had reported to ICE after his Temporary Protected Status ended following a Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to terminate TPS for roughly 350,000 Haitians. Reports indicate some former TPS holders were told to accept monitoring or face detention or deportation. The emotional breakdown was captured on video by a photojournalist and became widely shared across social media and news outlets.

Britney Ramirez Corona, a U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE agents on Tidewater Drive along with her husband and brothers-in-law during a targeted operation. She was later released after showing her identification and documentation. At a protest that followed the arrests, Corona described her fear of ICE interactions, saying "I fear every day, I carry my registrations with me because I don't know how they're gonna treat me one day" and expressed shock that showing her I.D. did not prevent her detention.

Laurentino Matuz Reyes, 39, a Mexican national, was detained by ICE agents at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo after his lawful entry authorization expired in 2022. Local law enforcement encountered him at the event, and he was taken into ICE custody along with two other individuals. He remained in custody pending removal proceedings.

Melqui David Lopez Diaz, a 22-year-old Mexican national, was detained by ICE agents at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo after local law enforcement encountered him at the event. His lawful entry authorization had expired in 2023. He was taken into ICE custody along with two other individuals at the rodeo and remained in custody pending removal proceedings. His family described his detention as their worst nightmare.

Oscar Amaya Bueso, Osman Amaya Bueso, and Arnold Antonio Mendoza Garcia were arrested by ICE during a targeted operation on Tidewater Drive in Norfolk on Friday. According to ICE, the three men were arrested for illegal entry to Virginia from Honduras. Mendoza Garcia had previously been arrested by Customs and Border Protection in July 2021 but was released by the Biden administration.

Eric Ornelas, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, says ICE detained him after he recorded an immigration enforcement operation. According to Ornelas, ICE used him as bait to apprehend his father. ICE has not responded to media inquiries about the specific details of Ornelas' encounter.

A U.S. citizen daughter, who had just turned 18, was driving her family to church and then to buy shoes for her younger siblings' first day of school when border patrol pulled them over. The agents scanned the license plate, determined it was associated with noncitizens, and detained both parents despite the driver having done nothing wrong. The eldest daughter was left to care for her four younger siblings. According to the post, the family is indigenous and the traffic stop followed a pattern of racial profiling.

Gabar Choli, a Kurdish filmmaker and activist, has spoken publicly for the first time about being force-fed by ICE medical staff over eight months while on hunger strike at Port Isabel federal detention center in Texas from May 2025 to January 2026. Choli staged the hunger strike to protest detention conditions and push for resolution of his immigration case after his asylum application was denied. A Guardian investigation found that between January 2025 and August 2026, ICE obtained court orders for involuntary medical treatment for 18 hunger strikers. Choli was subsequently deported and is now living in Canada.

A Filipino national from Cebu was arrested by ICE during a traffic stop in Jersey City and is being detained at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. According to the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the man entered the United States decades ago on an athlete visa through the Gintong Alay sports program. The Consulate visited him and reported he is in good spirits and good condition. The family has retained legal counsel and requested privacy as they prepare to contest the matter in immigration court.

Nelson Contreras-Gelves, a 35-year-old asylum seeker from Venezuela who arrived in the U.S. in 2022, was detained by ICE on June 27, 2026, after returning to a rescheduled immigration hearing in Philadelphia, just one week after his wedding reception. He had followed all required procedures and was in the process of seeking asylum. His wife, Ariel Whaley of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, said she was not given a reason for his detention and has since worked with attorneys on a habeas corpus petition for his release. Contreras-Gelves works as a distribution associate at Mighty Writers, a nonprofit in New Garden Township, where colleagues describe him as 'irreplaceable' and part of their extended family. A crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $38,000 to help cover legal expenses and household costs while he remains detained.

Juan Quim, 19, was deported to Guatemala on August 9, less than two weeks after being detained during a traffic stop in Littleville, Alabama, and transferred to ICE custody under a 287(g) agreement. Quim came to the U.S. from Guatemala at age 10 and grew up in Russellville, where he graduated with honors from Russellville High School, excelled in the welding program, volunteered at his church, and worked at a local restaurant. The Department of Homeland Security said Quim had an outstanding final order of removal over three years old due to his failure to appear at immigration hearings. An advocate who organized a GoFundMe for Quim said he is now safe with relatives, and he is described as deeply missed by his parents and two siblings.

A Ravenswood parent was detained by immigration in July in front of their family's home and transferred to an out-of-state detention facility. The family, facing constant stress and fear of ICE involvement, decided to self-deport together rather than pursue an uncertain legal path and risk lengthy detention. An attorney is representing the family through the self-deportation process to ensure they are treated fairly and arrive together in their destination country.

A Haitian father was detained by ICE in Salisbury, Maryland, while driving home from the grocery store with his 17-year-old daughter, Maggie. Vehicles surrounded their car and forced them to pull over, and roughly half a dozen agents demanded their immigration status; officers told Maggie they would not take her because she is a minor, and her father told her he loved her and to take care of herself before being led away. The family had Temporary Protected Status and had applied for asylum after fleeing Haiti in 2021, when gang members burned down their home. His detention comes after more than 350,000 Haitians nationwide lost TPS, and community members in Maryland report growing fear of leaving their homes for work, church, or errands.

John Phillips, a U.S. citizen and frequent traveler with TSA PreCheck, was handcuffed by ICE agents at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport while boarding a Delta flight to Las Vegas. Delta employees had directed him to board last, citing technical issues, before agents stopped him on the jetway, pinned him against the wall, and handcuffed him despite his telling them he was a citizen. Agents held him for several minutes, using facial recognition on his phone and showing him a photo of a British national who shared his name and birthdate, before confirming his identity and releasing him to board his flight. Phillips said the experience was a "big awakening" that gave him new empathy for immigrants who fear being targeted by ICE. He is seeking clarification about Delta's role in the incident, including what information the airline may have provided to ICE. DHS acknowledged the case, saying the agency takes responsibility for protecting the public and conducting operations professionally and lawfully.

Matías Alejandro Pourrain, a 34-year-old Argentine midfielder and youth soccer coach who has lived in the U.S. since 2019 on a tourist visa, was detained by ICE agents at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on August 6, 2026, while preparing to travel with his team to a national championship match. He had pending asylum and residency applications, a valid work permit, Social Security number, Florida state ID, and no criminal record. His teams, Miami United FC and Club de Lyon FC, released statements calling him an exceptional player and beloved member of their organizations. He was transferred between detention facilities, including Krome Detention Center and a facility in Laredo, Texas, where he said he went nearly three days without eating and was once fed while shackled hand and foot, describing the experience as psychologically difficult. His wife, Stefi Almandoz, remained in Miami on a student visa during his detention. His lawyer, Regina Borges, worked to secure a bail hearing, and after nearly three weeks in custody an immigration judge granted him a $20,000 bond; upon release he opted for phone check-ins with ICE instead of an ankle monitor so he could continue coaching children.

Federal immigration agents conducted sweeps at more than 106 car washes across Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, Inglewood, Culver City, Westchester, Bell, and Whittier, detaining at least 373 workers. Officers in masks and bulletproof vests arrived in pickup trucks and removed workers from their jobs within minutes. The enforcement operation targeted car washes as part of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown in the region. According to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, family members have been deported or remain in detention, and many workers live with ongoing fear of apprehension. The raids prompted protests against the enforcement operations.

José, a car wash worker at La Cienega Car Wash in Los Angeles, was detained by ICE agents in August 2025. José's wife is a U.S. citizen, and he had a pathway to citizenship before his detention. After a federal judge ordered his release on bond, the car wash had shut down, leaving José without employment. Rev. Andy Schwiebert of Immanuel Presbyterian Church noted that the enforcement operation destabilized families, congregations, workplaces, and entire communities across the region.

Mario, a 33-year resident of the United States, was arrested by ICE agents during a shift at a Santa Ana car wash in August 2025 and held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for two months. During detention, he slept on cold floors without blankets, toothbrushes, or basic medical care. His wife Alejandra reported agents treated him "worse than a common criminal, with chains binding his legs, arms and waist." Mario refused to sign deportation papers and is fighting to remain in the United States, a process that has drained his family emotionally and financially. He was one of seven workers detained that day but the only one released. At least 373 car wash workers have been detained across Southern California since raids began in summer 2025. Mario said the experience left him traumatized, noting his life is no longer the same.

A group of Nigerian citizens and other African and foreign nationals were deported from the United States on a 30-hour ICE deportation flight in which detainees were shackled and manacled. According to human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, the flight departed from Alvarado outside Dallas, Texas, and routed through Senegal, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, and Ghana, dropping detainees in multiple countries. Some Nigerian citizens were among those dropped in Ghana, where they faced additional hardship. Ogebe called on Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to negotiate a bilateral agreement with the United States to ensure the dignified repatriation of Nigerian citizens facing deportation, noting that some detainees had not committed criminal offenses and were being deported to third countries.

Four individuals were detained by ICE personnel at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo during the weekend. The detentions occurred when attendees presented international identification at age-verification checkpoints for alcohol purchases. During verification of the identification documents, issues regarding immigration status were raised, prompting ICE agents already present at the rodeo to respond and detain the individuals. Law enforcement checks indicated all four had existing immigration-related matters in federal systems.

Leonel Armando Bolívar Linares, a 29-year-old Venezuelan custodian at a St. Johns County school, was detained by ICE agents on August 5, 2026, while driving to work after a traffic stop. Bolívar Linares holds a valid work permit and driver's license, has a pending asylum application, and is legally present in the country. He has no criminal record and holds a university degree in journalism. His mother, Dayana Linares, and other family members who also work at the school expressed concern about the manner of his arrest and fear of deportation, noting that returning to Venezuela would pose a risk to his safety. His union, the St. Johns Educational Support Professionals Association, backed him and demanded his release. His family is raising funds to cover immigration bond, attorney's fees, and legal expenses.

The petitioner, who had lived in the United States for years while complying with ICE check-ins and other alternative-to-detention requirements, was taken into ICE custody on August 8, 2026 when he voluntarily appeared for a scheduled ICE check-in. He had maintained a known residence and employment and remained continuously available to immigration authorities for nearly three years prior to his detention. Immigration officials claimed he violated the conditions of his prior release on an order of recognizance after being arrested for public intoxication on July 28, 2026, though no criminal charges were ever filed and he was not notified of any alleged violation until his check-in. He was previously released under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and is currently held at a detention facility while pursuing a federal habeas corpus petition and motion for a temporary restraining order challenging his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing. The court found the government failed to identify any exigency justifying detention without prior process and ruled his re-detention violated due process. The court granted the habeas petition and TRO, ordering his immediate release under the same conditions as before his detention, with no additional restrictions such as electronic monitoring unless later deemed necessary at a hearing.

Jack Chung, a lawful permanent resident and asylee who fled China after participating in pro-democracy protests, was taken into ICE custody on August 8 following what his family describes as a retaliatory report from a business associate. Chung, a father of three including a newborn, was transferred through Washington State and Virginia before being detained at a facility in Natchez, Mississippi, thousands of miles from his wife and children in Alaska. His wife Mojo is now caring for their newborn and two young sons alone in Alaska without his income, and the family is raising money for legal representation to fight the detention.

Marco Uriel Rodriguez Hernandez, an immigration detainee, had won a finding that the government was unlawfully denying him a bond hearing. He was then transferred out of the privately run Aurora detention center to an unknown location and later found to be held in Texas. After his attorney, Skylar M. Larson, filed a new habeas petition, Colorado's Chief Federal Judge Daniel D. Domenico issued a temporary restraining order barring ICE from removing him, and the order was emailed to federal prosecutors. Despite this, ICE deported Rodriguez Hernandez to Mexico the following morning without allowing him to contact his attorney. Government attorneys said officials in Texas who carried out the removal were unaware of the court's order and said they 'greatly regret the error.' Domenico ordered the government to take all available steps to facilitate his return to the United States.

ICE agents arrested two roof repairmen during a raid in Cornwall, Vermont on Aug. 8, according to Will Lambek of the immigrant advocacy group Migrant Justice. The Addison County Sheriff's Department did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests. The incident was part of a wave of workplace and commuting arrests across Vermont that advocates said was unusually large in scale.

A leaked video filmed by a detainee inside the River Center ICE Detention Center in Louisiana shows 76 people held together in a single crowded space. Detainees allege exposure to outbreaks of tuberculosis, flu, and conjunctivitis, and say sick people are being placed in punitive isolation cells instead of receiving medical care. The detainee who filmed the footage asked media outlets for help publicizing the conditions.

Shohrat Saparov, a devoted husband and father of two from the Turkmen community, was arrested on May 29, 2026, after accepting a Lyft pickup request for a package he believed to be legal. He was wrongfully charged in a scam orchestrated by others, but on August 7, 2026, the Wake County prosecutor dismissed the charge entirely, finding him an "unwitting mule without guilty knowledge." The next morning, ICE took him into custody. Saparov is a recently certified Network Engineer who has volunteered with the Divan Center supporting families in need, and his family is now seeking $20,000 to fund his immigration defense and secure his release.

Tonny Quesada-Ramirez, a Costa Rican national who has lived in the United States for approximately 26 years, was detained by ICE agents on August 7, 2026, while working on a home addition project one block from his residence in the South Orange-Maplewood area. He lives with his wife and two children, one of whom has Down's syndrome. Quesada-Ramirez had begun the green card application process when he was detained and is being held at Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark pending removal proceedings. At least four other people, including Omar Alvarez (a sous chef) and two men who work at a roofing company, were detained in the area during the same enforcement activity. A neighbor who had hired Quesada-Ramirez for various carpentry jobs over five years started a GoFundMe that surpassed $36,000, and community members raised over $50,000 total through documenting the enforcement activity, connecting families with resources and attorneys, and fundraising efforts.

Daniel Palencia arrived in the United States in 2016 at age 11 with his mother, crossing the Mexico-U.S. border at El Paso, Texas, where they turned themselves in to immigration authorities and sought legal status. He was detained for three months in deplorable conditions, including cold rooms where temperatures dropped at night and blankets were confiscated, and overcrowded holding areas he described as "cages" designed for 4-5 people but sometimes holding 40 individuals where "we were sleeping on top of each other." After being transferred to JK Airport in New York for additional detention, his family hired a lawyer and obtained asylum status. Palencia moved to Southold to live with his grandparents, attended local schools, and has worked for Marcello Masonry for two years. Reflecting on his experience and that of detained coworker Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, he stated: "There are bad people out there. But you can't arrest everybody for the way they look or if they speak Spanish. You can't arrest hard-working people who are trying to support their families."

A man was deported by ICE to Tijuana in January 2024 and died during an armed robbery when gunmen shot him in the heart, according to his family. His daughter, Evelyn González, a resident of Oceanside, California, remembered him as a strong man who always fought for his family and taught her to be independent. His family is seeking help to transport his body to his hometown in Mexico for a dignified farewell.

An 18-year-old U.S. citizen in Norfolk was detained by ICE agents on Friday morning after arriving at the scene of an immigration enforcement operation involving her husband. According to the woman, she informed agents she was a U.S. citizen, but was detained anyway.

Sebastian Ralios Tino, a Guatemalan landscaper with no known criminal record, was detained in summer 2025 after living in the U.S. for nearly two decades without legal status. His son, U.S. Army Specialist Romero Ralios, enlisted in the military and spent nine months in 2024 deployed to the Joint Task Force Southern Border supporting U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The detention has left Romero Ralios remorseful about his border enforcement work and unable to sleep, expressing regret over the families he helped separate during his deployment. His commanding officer, Capt. Mohamed Elmaola, told the AP that Ralios is a phenomenal soldier deserving of support for his family.

Juan Carlos Maspache, a detainee at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, documented evidence of a cockroach found in his detention cell and shared the video with L.A. TACO. His documentation is part of mounting claims from detainees about inhumane conditions at the facility.

Gabriel Johnson, a 55-year-old pastor from North Carolina who came to the U.S. as a teenager, suffered a stroke while in ICE custody after more than 16 days in detention facilities in Georgia and Texas. According to his family, he repeatedly requested medical care during his detention, claiming he was denied adequate food, water, prescribed medication, and medical attention. Johnson has withholding of removal status, which bars him from being deported to Liberia. After experiencing stroke-like symptoms, he was taken to a hospital in Texas, but ICE has not provided his family with information about his medical care or condition since his hospitalization. The family has filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General.

Omar, a Peruvian sous chef at the restaurant Perla in New York City, was detained by ICE agents on the morning of Friday, August 7, while on his way to work. According to his employer, Omar has been following the lawful path to citizenship, was recently awarded a social security number, pays taxes, and works every day. His employer describes him as a hardworking, dedicated, and morally-just person who has played a significant role in shaping the restaurant over nearly two years of employment and serves as a mentor to the employer's sons. Omar is currently detained at Delaney Hall.

Katerina was recently detained by immigration authorities at an airport and is currently held in immigration detention. Her supporters are raising funds for emergency federal legal representation to file a habeas corpus petition and temporary restraining order in federal court challenging the legality of her detention and seeking her release.

ICE, FBI, and CBP arrested Fernando Armando Valdes Perez, a 61-year-old Cuban national and Guatemalan citizen, at Miami International Airport on July 10, 2026. Investigators alleged he was a Cuban intelligence asset who infiltrated Cuban exile and dissident communities while concealing his ties to the Cuban regime when he obtained lawful permanent resident status. He was placed in removal proceedings and deported from the United States on August 7, 2026.

A Haitian man who had entered a national parole program in Manchester before relocating to White River Junction in 2025 was arrested by ICE agents at his door at 7 a.m. on Aug. 7, according to Yvonne Lodico of Grace Initiative Global. The man had employment authorization and an asylum application under review, and was moved between detention locations before arriving in New Hampshire. His wife, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said that when she followed and asked ICE agents where they were taking her husband, an agent pulled out a gun and pointed it at her while she sat in her car.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested at least nine people across Vermont over a weekend in August 2026, including five construction workers arrested in Londonderry, one person in White River Junction, and two roof repairmen in a raid in Cornwall. A Haitian man with employment authorization and an asylum application under review was arrested at his home in White River Junction after ICE agents arrived at 7 a.m.; his wife reported that an ICE agent pointed a gun at her while she was in her car when she asked where they were taking him. The arrests, described by immigration advocates as rare workplace and commuting operations involving groups of workers, occurred amid months of heightened federal enforcement across the state and raised concerns about potential racial profiling and lack of oversight.

Pastor Luis Morales Pérez, a Venezuelan Seventh-day Adventist pastor who oversees four congregations in the Houston area and is a father of two daughters, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport while traveling with his wife, Karina, for a vacation to New York. According to Karina, agents approached the couple shortly after they entered the airport, called Morales by name, and took him into custody. Morales held valid employment authorization to serve with the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and had a pending asylum claim. His Temporary Protected Status, granted in December 2023, was revoked after DHS ended TPS for Venezuelan nationals, a move the Supreme Court allowed to take effect; ICE said he remained in the country after the revocation took effect on November 20, 2025. He is being held at Livingston Detention Center. Church leaders described his "commitment to our mission and the families he serves" as "unwavering" and asked congregants to pray for his family.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement concluded Operation Safe Community-Atlanta on August 7, 2026, with 1,226 arrests across Georgia in one of the largest single-state immigration enforcement operations in recent memory. According to ICE, 720 of those arrested had been charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States, including sex crimes, crimes against children, assault, drug violations, burglary, weapons offenses, and impaired driving. All 1,226 people arrested violated U.S. immigration law. The operation was conducted across multiple Georgia jurisdictions with participation from federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, including five arrests at a local trucking company. The operation occurred during a period of increased ICE enforcement, as the agency set a new monthly record high for detentions in July with more than 46,000 arrests nationwide.

Nqobile Malangeni, a pregnant South African woman who lives in Connecticut with her fiancé, a U.S. Army veteran, was arrested by ICE agents at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas as she prepared to board a JetBlue flight home. She had traveled to Las Vegas for a vacation to celebrate her birthday. In footage of the arrest shared across U.S. media, agents told her they had a final order of removal against her for overstaying her authorized period of stay. Her fiancé told reporters they followed all proper procedures and never received a removal letter in the mail, describing the arrest as completely unexpected. She is being held at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada.

Five individuals working on a construction crew were arrested by ICE agents during a targeted enforcement operation at a traffic stop in Londonderry on the morning of August 7, 2026, while traveling to a job site. The detainees were allegedly of Ecuadorian descent. Video footage captured by a local resident showed unmarked vehicles and multiple individuals being held against a vehicle near Route 11. The arrests occurred amid months of heightened immigration enforcement activity in Vermont that has drawn protests, lawsuits, and official reviews, including scrutiny of a March 11 raid in South Burlington that detained three people who were later released. The incident sparked community concern, prompting state representatives and local leaders to convene to discuss support and protection measures.

Luis (Kike) Espinoza, an Executive Chef who has lived legally in the United States since 2022 with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE during what was supposed to be a routine monthly immigration court hearing in Texas. Espinoza, who formerly worked as head chef at El Secreto de Rosita restaurant, moved to Texas to build a life and support his two children in Peru. His sister, Cinthia Espinoza, who works as a chef at Nabiha restaurant, is organizing a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal costs as the family works with an attorney to seek his release. The community has described Espinoza as a beloved member who has given much to the people around him.

Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse from Zambia working at Maine Medical Center in Portland, was detained by ICE on July 30 at Boston Logan Airport after her visa expired in November 2024. According to ICE, she entered the U.S. on May 14, 2024, and remained in the country after her visa expiration. Kapisha maintained a valid registered nurse license since June 2025 with no disciplinary action and argued she had legal work authorization while her asylum case was being adjudicated. The Maine State Nurses Association organized a rally within 24 hours of learning of her detention and mobilized community support, with over 100 Maine Medical Center nurses and supporters protesting alongside Democratic officials including Senate nominee Troy Jackson and gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree, describing her as a trusted, compassionate caregiver whose absence affected patient care. She was released from ICE custody on August 7 following the protests. The union and MaineHealth are working to sponsor her for permanent resident status through an EB-3 visa, for which skilled nurses are eligible and exempt from standard labor certification requirements.