HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

We collect individual stories of people impacted by U.S. immigration enforcement from news reporting, court records, and community accounts into one searchable public database, updated daily and reviewed by our team. The Human Impact Project is run by the Human Security Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

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4231 incidents with known locations
⚐ Highlighted incident #12401 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

ICE and HSI arrest over a dozen people in Bismarck-Mandan operation

Sep 21, 2026Bismarck, ND

More than a dozen people were booked into the Burleigh Morton Detention Center after ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents carried out enforcement activity in the Bismarck-Mandan area beginning Sept. 21. Of the 13 individuals, ranging in age from 19 to 58, nine had addresses in Bismarck, one had an address in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and three had unknown or unlisted addresses. The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department said it was contacted by HSI ahead of the operation and assigned a liaison, while local Bismarck police said they were not asked to assist.

Colombian woman denaturalized for alleged fraud in naturalization process

Jun 8, 2026Colombia

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.

Haitian man denaturalized for allegedly concealing criminal history during naturalization

Jun 8, 2026Haiti

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.

Two Guatemalan workers detained at workplace in Waterloo, Iowa

Jun 8, 2026Waterloo, IAGuatemala

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.

Cuban woman denaturalized for alleged fraud in naturalization process

Jun 8, 2026Cuba

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.

Refugee detained at ICE appointment after 24 years complying with supervision order

Jun 8, 2026Lincoln, NEVietnam

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.

Palestinian grandfather detained despite judge's release order, ICE re-arrests and attempts deportation

Jun 8, 2026Bossier City, LAPalestine

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.

Man held on ICE detainer following traffic-related arrest in Topeka

Jun 8, 2026Topeka, KS

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.

Atlanta father deported to Vietnam after 8 months detention, separated from newborn son

Jun 8, 2026Vietnam

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.

Medical emergencies surge at Miramar ICE detention site

Jun 8, 2026Miramar, FLHonduras

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.

ICE agents conduct operation outside Joliet courthouse, activists witness abduction

Jun 8, 2026Joliet, IL

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.

British journalist detained at airport, released after judges found freedom of speech breaches

Jun 8, 2026San Francisco, CAUnited Kingdom

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.

Hundreds protest hunger strike at Newark detention center; senator pepper sprayed, dozens arrested

Jun 8, 2026Newark, NJ

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.

ICE agents pepper spray observer during operation at Astoria port

Jun 7, 2026Astoria, OR

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.

Venezuelan national detained in ICE operation at Astoria port

Jun 7, 2026Astoria, ORVenezuela

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.

Cuban man re-detained by ICE this year seeks release under Zadvydas after prior habeas duplicative filing dismissed

Jun 7, 2026Cuba

The petitioner, a Cuban citizen and native of Cuba, is subject to a final order of removal entered in 2018. At that time he was detained for approximately eight months while the government unsuccessfully attempted to effect his removal, after which he was released. He was re-detained by immigration authorities on June 7, 2026 (described as June 6, 2026 in a related filing) and has remained in immigration custody since then. A petition for writ of habeas corpus was filed on his behalf by a relative acting as 'next friend,' arguing his continued detention violates the Due Process Clause under Zadvydas v. Davis and federal immigration detention regulations, and seeking his immediate release. However, the court found that the petitioner had separately filed his own pro se habeas petition in his own name one day earlier, raising the same claims and seeking the same relief against a more complete set of respondents. Because the petitioner was shown to be capable of litigating on his own behalf, the court held the 'next friend' could not establish standing and dismissed this duplicative action, along with pending motions for a temporary restraining order and for entry of judgment. The court clarified that dismissal does not limit the petitioner's ability to pursue his claims in the separately filed prior action.

Migrant abandoned in Arizona desert, search group seeks information

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Jun 7, 2026AZMexico

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.

Guatemalan National Detained Without Required Reasonable Fear Interview

Jun 7, 2026Desert View, CAGuatemala

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.

Husband detained by ICE, family struggles financially and emotionally

Jun 7, 2026Mounds, OK

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.

Father detained 60+ days by ICE after disputed traffic stop, released on habeas corpus

Jun 7, 2026San Marcos, TX

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.

Guatemalan national detained without inspection, challenges mandatory detention

Jun 6, 2026Philipsburg, PAGuatemala

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.