Human Impact Project

Two men were detained after officers in ICE garb arrived in six vehicles at a gas station in Marshall on Tuesday morning, boxed in their vehicle at a gas pump, and smashed the windows before taking them into custody. Bystanders witnessed the enforcement action.

Ángel Muñoz, known on social media as Ángel Muñeco, was detained by ICE on August 6. His wife Blondi, a content creator known for her height, confirmed the detention, saying she did not want to make a video about it but did so for his fans. The couple went viral roughly a year earlier after his marriage proposal, and their wedding was celebrated by thousands of followers online. Blondi says Ángel is legally in the United States and that their marriage is valid, but he now faces an administrative process that could result in deportation.

A Venezuelan woman who entered the United States without authorization in September 2023 was ordered removed by an immigration judge in March 2026; her appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals remains pending. She was detained by ICE on August 6, 2026 following a routine traffic stop and has since been held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She filed a pro se habeas petition alleging that her prolonged detention without a bond hearing violates due process, that her warrantless arrest violated the Fourth Amendment, that a serious medical condition has been aggravated by her detention, and that her detention imposes a hardship on her minor children. She sought immediate release or, alternatively, an emergency individualized bond hearing, along with a temporary restraining order barring her removal or transfer while the petition is pending. The court denied the emergency motion, finding that the request for a bond hearing sought the ultimate relief of the habeas petition itself and that claims of imminent removal or transfer were speculative.

A 29-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the U.S. since December 2024 on a nonimmigrant visa was arrested by immigration authorities on August 6, 2026, after overstaying his visa's authorized period, which had expired in June 2025. He had been residing with his fiancée, a U.S. citizen and homeowner, and was pursuing English classes and pilot training, with no criminal convictions. Following his arrest, he was placed in removal proceedings and detained at the Adelanto Detention Facility, where he remained held without ever receiving a bond hearing. He filed a habeas petition arguing his detention without an individualized custody determination violated due process, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act, seeking immediate release or a constitutionally adequate bond hearing with a heightened evidentiary burden on the government. The court found he was subject to standard detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and was not entitled to release or a heightened bond standard, but ordered that he be released unless given a new bond hearing within seven days.

ICE arrested Heriton Da Silva Aredes, a Brazilian national who had previously been deported in 2008 and later reentered the U.S., during a targeted operation in Taunton, Massachusetts. ICE stated he had prior convictions and was facing a pending charge of negligent vehicular homicide. ICE said local and state authorities released Aredes from custody on three occasions without honoring ICE detainers before he was ultimately arrested at large.

Luis Morales, a Venezuelan pastor who leads four Adventist churches in the Houston area, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Aug. 6 while preparing to fly to New York with his wife to visit their daughters. Morales came to the U.S. with his wife, Karina, and their two daughters in 2020 and the family has lived in Houston since 2023. His wife says his Temporary Protected Status was revoked in November 2025, but the family's asylum case remains pending, and they had not received any deportation orders. Morales remains held at an ICE detention center in Livingston, Texas, while his family awaits answers.

Ana Caridad Linares, a 45-year-old woman from Coral Gables, admitted in federal court to falsely impersonating a federal officer by inventing a non-existent "Legal Administrative Specialist" position within ICE and using that fake title to file fraudulent motions with immigration courts requesting dismissal of deportation cases. She collected fees from clients before submitting documents formatted to appear as authentic government filings. The scheme was discovered in February 2024 when an immigration judge flagged one of her motions as fraudulent, leading investigators to trace at least three more similar motions filed during the same period. Linares faces up to three years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for August 20, 2026.

Valeria Saya, a Venezuelan resident of Eagle Pass, Texas, is seeking help to free her father Ronaldo, mother Odalys, and younger brother Ronaldo Jr., who were all detained by ICE within days of each other. Her father was detained at a checkpoint while driving a truck and presented his documents; the family has work permits and Social Security numbers. Her mother and brother were later detained while returning from Laredo to Eagle Pass. Her brother, who is about to graduate high school and wants to be an engineer, has struggled emotionally in detention at Dilley, losing interest in eating and sleeping most of the day. According to Valeria's attorney, the family has strong prospects for release as both parents have no criminal history.

A Maryland federal judge held ICE in civil contempt for wrongfully deporting more than 50 unaccompanied minors in violation of a blanket court order barring their removal. The judge found that subsequent efforts to bring some of the minors back did not remedy the initial violation.

An 11-year-old unaccompanied migrant named Diego appeared alone before an immigration judge in New York City without legal representation, struggling to complete an asylum application in English. The hearing occurred after a federal contract funding legal services for detained immigrant children expired on July 31, leaving thousands of minors to represent themselves. Judge Lisa Ling, a former ICE prosecutor, gave Diego two and a half weeks to file his asylum application or face deportation, despite his expressed fear of returning to Guatemala. Multiple other unaccompanied children, some as young as 11, appeared in court that day without lawyers or adult advocates.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 43-year-old Ethiopian national who legally entered the U.S. in 2014 and was granted asylum, was ordered deported following a child sexual abuse conviction. Federal officials attempted to deport him to third countries (Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, and Central African Republic) rather than his country of origin. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles ordered Mohammed released from Angola's Camp 57 immigration detention facility in February after finding ICE had no viable deportation plan and violated his due process rights. Despite the judge's explicit warnings and orders, ICE agents rearrested Mohammed twice more in subsequent months—in April after two African nations agreed to accept him, and again last week in Maryland—each time failing to serve required deportation papers or conduct credible fear interviews. Judge deGravelles held a hearing on whether to hold DHS officials in civil contempt for repeatedly defying his court orders.

Mohamed Guezoui, born in Algeria, moved to the U.S. after marrying an American citizen. After his marriage ended, he found community through his friend Staci Tighe, whom he met at karaoke. Tighe was struggling through an illness at the time, and Guezoui visited her daily to offer support before his arrest. While working his shift at King Kabab restaurant in West Virginia, three masked ICE officers arrested him at his workplace. He was eventually deported. His detention marked the beginning of Operation Country Roads, a DHS enforcement sweep that resulted in approximately 600 arrests across West Virginia, primarily relying on local law enforcement cooperation.

Laura Rojas Ortiz, a 21-year-old mother, was detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas for more than 40 days while five months pregnant with a high-risk pregnancy. She was detained during a routine ICE check-in in Dallas while in the process of applying for a U visa after being shot at in her neighborhood, despite regularly appearing for check-ins while wearing an ankle monitor. During her detention, Rojas Ortiz did not receive an ultrasound, specialist care, or blood tests despite her high-risk pregnancy status. Her mother, Paola, reported that her infant son, who has a lactose intolerance, was given whole milk at the facility. According to family accounts, facility staff moved her to a medical room during a congressional visit, then removed her when lawmakers left. Advocacy groups including Each Step Home provided commissary support to help her purchase food for her children.

Omar David Panqueva, a Colombian DJ known as DJ Tunjo, and his husband Santiago Páez were arrested by ICE agents at Chicago's Midway International Airport as they prepared to fly out and join reggaeton star Karol G's tour for DJ after-parties. The couple, both members of the LGBTQ+ community, had applied for asylum due to persecution they faced in Colombia and held work permits while their case was pending, though their visas had expired in 2022. Panqueva had recently performed at Chicago's Fiesta del Sol and the Sueños music festival and was planning a tour to Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. He described being 'chained, handcuffed on a bus with bars' during the arrest. The couple was held in Indiana and released on bond on August 12 after supporters rallied around them, with their immigration case continuing in court and a hearing scheduled for August 19.

Brayan Omar Sánchez, a 26-year-old Honduran truck driver and owner of a pressure-washing and painting business who had lived in South Florida for nearly a decade after fleeing gang violence that killed his father and other family members, was detained by ICE agents on May 13 while heading to a job site. He was transferred through detention centers in Colorado, Arizona, California and Texas before being flown roughly 21 hours to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on July 30 along with five other men — Cuban nationals Omar Rodríguez, Arístides Fernández, Yasmany Moreno and Daniel Lázaro Fuente, and Ecuadorian Mauricio Alvarado. Sánchez said he never signed deportation paperwork, believed he had asylum protection and a court order preventing removal, and said an ICE officer threatened the group with violence the night before if they refused to board the plane. He described arriving with only $20, which was confiscated by customs, and said he and the others are being held at a hotel in Bangui fearing for their safety. Sánchez is asking the Honduran government and members of Congress to help secure his return to the United States.

Four construction workers were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, August 6, 2026, following a traffic stop conducted by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers outside Austin City Hall. DPS troopers, who are federally certified Designated Immigration Officers under the 287(g) program, pulled over a vehicle at Guadalupe Street and César Chávez Street after observing it driving the wrong way on a one-way street just before 9:30 a.m. The driver did not have a valid driver's license. After determining that all four occupants were not lawfully present in the United States, troopers contacted ICE agents, who arrived within three to four minutes and took the individuals into custody, confiscating their phones. The detention occurred while the Austin City Council was holding a budget meeting, and community members expressed outrage during public comment. By Thursday evening, family members did not know where the detainees had been taken. City Council members, including Mike Siegel, condemned the operation, with Siegel characterizing it as "state-sponsored kidnapping" and criticizing the collaboration between DPS and ICE.

A citizen of India who entered the U.S. in December 2022 and was released on parole under Alternatives to Detention has lived in the country for nearly four years, maintaining stable employment and strong ties to his Sikh community. He filed an asylum application in April 2023, which remains pending, and obtained work authorization valid through October 2028, complying with all ATD monitoring requirements and having no criminal history. On August 5, 2026, he was swept up when Deportation Officers assisting the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Antelope, California—an address that was not his own residence, as his driver's license lists a Sacramento address. Although an I-213 noted he was 'identified as being part of an active shooting investigation,' the record contains no evidence connecting him to the shooting, and officers instead ran a biometrics check, determined he lacked lawful status, and arrested him on an administrative warrant. He was issued a Notice to Appear and detained at the Golden State Annex Detention Facility in McFarland, California, without a prior hearing. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus and a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing his detention without notice or a hearing violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. The court agreed, granted the habeas petition, ordered his immediate release, and enjoined the government from re-detaining him absent seven days' notice and a bond hearing demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence that he poses a flight risk or danger to the community.

ICE and the San Saba County Sheriff's Office arrested Emiliano Martinez Perez, a 54-year-old Cuban man, on August 5, 2026, under a 287(g) partnership. He has had a final order of removal since 2000 and is currently facing local criminal charges. ICE has lodged an immigration detainer to take him into custody once his criminal case concludes.

Steven Orrego Upegui was detained by ICE at LaGuardia Airport in New York City while on his way to celebrate his mother's birthday. He was chained and transferred to a detention facility in Pennsylvania, where he spent 15 days in custody before being released with the help of his partner and family. His immigration case remains ongoing, and he is raising funds to cover legal defense and attorney fees.

A Guatemalan man who has lived in the United States since 2018 and works as a waiter in Baltimore, Maryland, was detained by ICE officials in Maryland on August 5, 2026. He was subsequently transferred to the Caroline Detention Center in Virginia, where he remained held for about three weeks. DHS classified him as an 'applicant for admission' under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(a), subjecting him to mandatory detention without bond under § 1225(b)(2). He filed a habeas corpus petition arguing this classification violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, his due process rights, and the Administrative Procedure Act, and sought release and a bond hearing. The federal court found that because he was already present in the U.S. rather than arriving at the border, his detention was governed by the discretionary detention provisions of § 1226(a). The court granted his petition, ordering his prompt release and a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within 14 days, and enjoined the government from re-detaining him absent specified circumstances.

The petitioner, a citizen of India who entered the United States in July 2025 at around age 20, had a pending asylum application filed with USCIS in October 2025 and had been granted employment authorization valid through December 2027. In March 2026, his guardian petitioned a California state court for guardianship, which was granted in May 2026 after the court found that reunification with his parents was not viable due to abandonment and that returning him to India was not in his best interest. Based on those findings, he submitted a special immigrant juvenile status petition to USCIS. On August 5, 2026, ICE detained him at a residence where federal law enforcement was executing a search warrant during an active shooting investigation, though he was not accused of any crime. He filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order challenging his detention as a due process violation, arguing he had a protected liberty interest given his sanctioned presence in the country. The court agreed, finding his circumstances similar to a prior case where a detainee's employment authorization constituted government sanctioning of his continued presence, and ordered a bond hearing. The court required the government to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger to the community, and denied the TRO motion as moot given the bond hearing order.

The petitioner was re-detained by immigration authorities on August 5, 2026, after previously having been released on bond, conditional parole, or humanitarian parole. He was held at the Golden State Annex Detention Facility without being afforded a pre-deprivation bond hearing before a neutral arbiter. He filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 along with a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing that his continued detention without such a hearing violated his due process rights. The government conceded there were no meaningful factual or legal distinctions between his case and several prior cases in which the court had granted similar relief, and did not oppose the court ruling on the petition without a hearing. The court found that his detention was governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and that the Due Process Clause required a pre-deprivation bond hearing before re-detention. The court granted the habeas petition and TRO, ordering his immediate release under the same conditions that applied before his August 5 detention, and required at least seven days' notice and a bond hearing before any future re-detention.

Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh (JFCS) filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging policies push unaccompanied immigrant children toward deportation even when they qualify for legal status. The suit names six teen plaintiffs from Vietnam, Guinea, El Salvador and Guatemala, all described as victims of abuse, abandonment, neglect or trafficking. Among them is KTN, a 19-year-old from Vietnam who fled severe, repeated physical abuse by his father and was approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile status in May, yet was ordered deported in July. Another plaintiff, 17-year-old Guatemalan trafficking survivor FYCT, was ordered deported despite applying for T nonimmigrant status after being confirmed as a trafficking victim. The lawsuit alleges immigration judges have been instructed to deny children meaningful time to pursue pending applications, citing government data showing removal and voluntary departure orders against minors have nearly quadrupled. JFCS staff say hundreds of their young clients are at risk, and the filing coincided with two Pittsburgh-area members of Congress questioning the administration's decision to end a contract funding attorneys for roughly 20,000 unaccompanied children nationwide, including about 700 in Pennsylvania.

Alberto, a DACA recipient who has lived in the U.S. since 1996, worked as a painter, contractor, and Amazon delivery driver, and is a father of three, was pulled from his vehicle by masked ICE agents while making deliveries in Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood on August 5. Five of the six agents present were masked; one reached into his car, unlocked the door, and physically removed him before placing him in an unmarked truck. In footage of the roughly 20-minute encounter, Alberto identified himself as a DACA recipient and gave observers his name, Social Security number, and the location of his car keys for his family. Neighbors and local business owners gathered to witness and record the arrest, later organizing a vigil at the site and staying in contact with Alberto's family and immigration attorneys.

A Black DoorDash delivery driver was arrested by masked ICE agents on a Jersey City street while working. According to the post, the agents did not provide a warrant or demonstrate they had legal reason to detain him. The arrest occurred days after another person died in ICE custody at Delaney Hall in Newark.

Three women who fled LGBTQ+ persecution in Ghana were deported from the United States to Cameroon as part of the Trump administration's secretive agreements with at least 30 countries to accept people the U.S. cannot legally deport to their home countries. According to DW reporting, the deportees described being shackled during the process.

José Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran man, was deported to Honduras in April 2026 after being detained while traveling to Seattle, despite holding Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) granted in 2023. He had been living in Raleigh with relatives and is the father of a three-year-old U.S.-born child. In June 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered DHS to return him to the U.S. and restore his legal status. Martinez-Andino returned on August 5, 2026, but was flown to a detention facility in Harlingen, Texas rather than North Carolina, where he remains detained awaiting legal relief.

A pregnant woman was arrested by ICE at Harry Reid International Airport in late July after returning to the United States from a vacation in Las Vegas. She was detained on immigration charges related to allegedly overstaying her visa. Her fiancé expressed concern about whether he will be able to meet his child.

The Guardian's investigation reveals at least 10 cases since January 2025 in which ICE subjected detained immigrants to involuntary force-feeding through nasogastric tubes. Three cases are detailed: an Afghan man force-fed daily for nearly six months at Port Isabel in Texas starting September 2025; Andriy Shepitsen, a Ukrainian man with severe bipolar disorder, whose attorney intervened to stop his force-feeding at Krome Service processing center in Miami after 44 days on hunger strike; and a Saudi Arabian woman who went on hunger strike in Louisiana in June 2025 and was transferred to Texas, where ICE sought permission to force-feed her before she broke her strike. Medical experts and human rights organizations have condemned force-feeding as torture. In six of the 10 cases reviewed, detained immigrants lacked legal representation during court proceedings, and most records remain sealed.

Amy Lucia López Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was detained by ICE at Boston Logan Airport on November 20, 2025, while attempting to board a flight to Texas for Thanksgiving break. A federal judge issued an emergency order on November 21 blocking her removal and prohibiting her transfer outside Massachusetts for 72 hours. Despite this court order, ICE transferred her to Texas that evening and deported her to Honduras on November 22. The Trump administration later apologized in court for violating the judicial order but argued the violation should not affect her deportation case. In February 2026, the government offered her a return flight to the United States, which she declined, leading to dismissal of her habeas corpus lawsuit in March 2026. Her case is part of a broader pattern of detentions and deportations of international scholars and students at U.S. airports.

Paola Vanessa Prieto Valles was detained by ICE, creating emotional and financial hardship for her family. Described as a caring family member and dear friend, her absence has deeply affected those who love and depend on her. Her family is raising funds to cover legal representation, court-related expenses, communication costs, and other essential needs during her detention.

A father and husband was recently detained by ICE and deported to Mexico, leaving his family of five—a mother and three children—to cope with sudden separation and financial devastation. The children are experiencing severe emotional distress, crying at night and struggling to sleep. The mother is overwhelmed trying to keep the family safe and healthy while managing her own grief and anxiety. DHS seized $7,800 from the family's savings, leaving them unable to pay rent, utilities, food, school supplies, transportation, or medicine. The father is now in Mexico attempting to build a new life, while the family seeks funds to cover immediate expenses and eventually reunite with him.

ICE arrested three undocumented immigrants from Guatemala—Magdalena Gomez-Garcia, Elias Gomez-Garcia, and Eulalia Ordonez-Carmelo—following an investigation into alleged fraudulent use of stolen identities and Social Security numbers. All three had final orders of removal from the U.S., with immigration encounters dating back to 2009. ICE said Magdalena Gomez-Garcia allegedly used a stolen identity to work for a local employer beginning in February 2026.

A woman who has lived continuously in the United States for approximately 21 years was arrested in the interior of the country and is now detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. She is being held under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b), which subjects her to mandatory detention, rather than being given an individualized custody determination under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). She filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus seeking immediate release or, alternatively, a bond hearing. She also filed an ex parte application for a temporary restraining order, arguing that continued detention constitutes irreparable harm and expressing concern that she could be transferred to another facility without notice. The court denied the TRO application without prejudice, finding she had not shown the kind of imminent, irreparable harm required to bypass the district's standard expedited briefing schedule for immigration habeas petitions. The court noted that a general order already requires the government to give at least two days' notice before transferring her out of the district, and that she could seek emergency relief if such a transfer were announced. Respondents were ordered to file an answer to the habeas petition by August 11, 2026, after which the matter will be submitted for decision.

The petitioners, a mother and her adult daughter, entered the United States in March 2014 and later applied for asylum, which was denied; they were ordered removed in December 2015, and their appeal was dismissed in 2017. The mother married a U.S. citizen in May 2022, and her husband filed I-130 relative petitions for both her and her daughter in August 2023. Their I-130 interviews were scheduled for August 5, 2026 at the USCIS Field Office in Portland, Oregon. Fearing that ICE would detain and deport them at that interview based on broader administration enforcement policies rather than an individualized assessment, they filed a habeas corpus petition and sought a temporary restraining order. They argued detention and removal would violate their Fifth Amendment due process rights and would preempt a motion to reopen their removal proceedings. The court found a reasonable likelihood they would be detained and quickly transferred out of Oregon, which lacks an immigration detention facility, potentially undermining its jurisdiction. The court issued an order under the All Writs Act barring the government from arresting, detaining, or deporting the petitioners during the pendency of the case, and denied the TRO motion as moot given this relief.

Andrey Kalyakin, who entered the United States legally on a J-1 exchange visitor visa more than sixteen years ago and is married to a U.S. citizen, is being held by ICE at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana. In a letter, Kalyakin describes his years living in the U.S. and details conditions in detention, stating he has been denied basic medical care and given spoiled milk and brown tap water.

Protesters are staging a tree-sit in Lochiel, Arizona to prevent Customs and Border Protection contractors from destroying a 200-year-old cottonwood tree in the path of new border wall construction. Contractors working for Fisher Sand and Gravel already crushed three large cottonwoods on July 27. Environmental activists, including members of the Sierra Club, say the wall threatens critical wildlife corridors and have drawn national attention to the demonstration.

An Iranian woman detained at ICE's Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia has received a notice that ICE intends to deport her to the Central African Republic, a country she has never visited and that the U.S. government warns citizens to avoid due to violent crime and civil war. She said she fled Iran after converting to Christianity, an act severely punished there, entering the U.S. without authorization at the southern border in 2024 and settling in Atlanta. "I just started shaking. I was just so scared," she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I don't have anyone (over) there. I don't know the language, or anything."

Kuya Rob, a Filipino migrant father, was detained by ICE in California and has been held for more than 400 days at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. His detention has separated him from his son and elderly mother. Advocates with the Tanggol Migrante Movement have organized a petition campaign, gathering over 439 signatures, citing detention conditions and what they describe as neglect by the Philippine Consulate.

Valentín, a hardworking family man, was detained by ICE for more than seven months in inhumane conditions. During his detention, he endured days without meals and was served cold or contaminated food, including food with worms. He was separated from his family with minimal meaningful communication and was unable to be present when his daughter gave birth, learning only later in custody that he had a newborn granddaughter. After his eventual release and reunification with his family, Valentín faces significant accumulated debt as he works to rebuild their lives.

Selvin Alfredo Ramos Perez, a kitchen worker at a Roanoke restaurant, was arrested by Roanoke County Police on August 4, 2026, for public intoxication. ICE lodged a detainer with the county jail the same day, and Ramos Perez was transferred into ICE custody pending removal proceedings. According to DHS, Ramos Perez entered the United States illegally on multiple occasions beginning in 2011, was removed and deported in 2017, and unlawfully re-entered the country multiple times after his removal. DHS also reported he has a prior criminal record including traffic offenses, public order crimes, fraud charges, and a DUI.

Adela Margarita Angel Melendez, an immigrant from El Salvador living in West Liberty, Iowa, was detained during a routine immigration check-in at the Cedar Rapids Department of Homeland Security office on August 4, 2026. She had been waiting seven years for the office to process a residency petition filed by her U.S. citizen sister. Two additional immigrants were also detained during routine check-ins at the same office that morning, according to advocacy group Escucha Mi Voz, which had been outside the office supporting immigrants at their regular meetings with the department.

Migrant children as young as six years old were detained at the Homestead facility adjacent to Homestead Air Reserve Base, a Superfund site with arsenic and lead contamination, according to over 20,000 pages of records released in federal litigation. The facility, which closed in 2019, also exposed children to constant noise from F-16C fighter jets. Some children detained there were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal government agreed to pay legal fees after the lawsuit concluded, with environmental and social justice groups citing the case as part of a nationwide pattern of migrants held in harmful environments.

Gabriel Johnson, a pastor and father who had legal status since age 15, was arrested by ICE in Cary, North Carolina. According to his family, ICE denied him consistent food, water, and necessary medications for over 16 days while in custody. Johnson suffered a stroke on July 30th, resulting in complete paralysis of the left side of his body. His family reports ICE agents refused to allow hospital staff to contact his daughter and has since denied the family visits, phone calls, or health updates. An emergency stay of removal has been filed on his behalf.

Edwin Jovanny López Cornejo, a 39-year-old Salvadoran national who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, died August 1, 2026, at University Hospital in Newark following a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility. He suffered from epilepsy, diabetes, and high blood pressure requiring daily medication, and leaves behind a 12-year-old U.S. citizen daughter, Ashley. ICE arrested him June 18, 2026, in Plainfield, New Jersey, reviving a 2006 deportation order, though his family said he held a valid work permit. His mother, Maria Cornejo, said he called her feeling very ill with numbness in his face and hand after seeing a facility medical provider, and described him as hardworking and a good father, saying, "I lost him to the hands of immigration authorities." His family alleged he did not consistently receive his medication and called for an independent investigation, while ICE and DHS said he received appropriate medical care and staff responded quickly. His death was the second at Delaney Hall since it opened in May 2025, following months of detainee complaints and lawsuits alleging denial of medication, and prompted Governor Mikie Sherrill and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to call for the facility's closure.

Berhanu Kibret, a pharmacy instructor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy since 2023, was detained by federal immigration agents at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on July 21, 2026, while returning from an American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy conference where he had just been honored as a teacher of the year. Authorities alleged he was undocumented and had overstayed a visa that expired May 31, 2024, despite his holding valid work authorization. University of Maryland officials described him as "an effective and beloved teacher" and a "highly valued" colleague. Kibret remained in detention following the arrest. His detention occurred the same day Ecuadorian traveler Chantal Morales Rojas was detained at Denver International Airport, amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement activity at U.S. airports.

Kaitlyn Tracey, a 33-year-old Canadian citizen, was arrested on July 3, 2026, after allegedly slapping a teenage girl twice on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk during Fourth of July weekend. The confrontation occurred after Tracey objected to the girl's sweatpants displaying political slogans and allegedly verbally harassed her about her clothing. Police documented the assault on video. Tracey had entered the U.S. on April 14, 2024, on a tourist visa that expired September 6, 2024, remaining in the country illegally. She was charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and obstruction. On August 4, 2026, a federal immigration judge ordered her deportation to Canada after she pleaded guilty to assault; she received a one-day jail sentence credited to time served. Her husband, Matthew Geroni, a U.S. citizen married to Tracey for over three years, disputed the characterization of events and alleged the arrest was politically motivated, claiming the viral video had been taken out of context. He launched fundraising efforts and social media campaigns to secure her release, raising $4,857 toward a $10,000 goal.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, mother of three, poet, and legal observer, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026, while monitoring an immigration enforcement operation on Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis. Good had blocked the street with her Honda Pilot to warn neighbors of ICE's presence when Ross fired three shots at eye level as her car turned away from officers. Her wife, Becca, said they were simply warning neighbors. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump claimed Good tried to run over agents and called her actions 'domestic terrorism,' but video evidence, a New York Times analysis, Human Rights Watch, and an independent autopsy found she posed no imminent threat and was shot in the head, arm, and breast. Protesters gathered at the ICE Field Office in St. Paul the following day, where agents responded with pepper balls, mace, and tear gas. The administration blocked a federal criminal investigation, instead launching 'Operation Puppet Master' targeting progressive groups. Good's family later filed a federal tort claim, hundreds of federal agents were withdrawn from Minnesota, and her case was presented at an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing.

A 54-year-old citizen of India who has lived in the United States for over three decades is being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center. His wife and their two children are American citizens. He entered the U.S. without inspection in 1992 and has a removal order that became final in 2014; ICE placed him on an Order of Supervision in 2016. He was first re-detained in May 2026, and a federal judge granted habeas relief in June 2026, ordering his release and barring ICE from re-detaining him for invalid reasons or no reason at all. ICE nonetheless re-detained him again in August 2026, citing his final removal order, a valid travel document, and a misdemeanor assault charge — though court records show that charge was closed without any charges being filed. He was promised an informal interview two days after detention but did not receive one until ten days later. He filed a new habeas petition and motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing ICE violated his due process rights by failing to follow its own revocation regulations.

A Venezuelan man who was paroled into the United States in September 2023 was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on August 3, 2026, following a traffic stop. An immigration judge had ordered him removed to Venezuela on July 13, 2026, but he is pursuing an appeal of that removal order, so it is not yet final. He is held at the North Florida Detention Facility. He filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing he was not subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) and sought immediate release. The court agreed, finding that because he was not seeking entry at the border when re-detained, he was not subject to mandatory detention under § 1225 and was instead entitled to an individualized bond hearing under § 1226(a). The court granted the petition, ordering respondents to either provide him a bond hearing within seven days or release him, and denied the government's motion to dismiss.