Human Impact Project

Dixuan 'Kai' Li, a 27-year-old Chinese woman who came to the U.S. in 2019 on a student visa, was detained by ICE officers as she left her Arlington apartment with her husband and has since been held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado. Li, who says she and her family faced religious persecution in China as Christians, has a bipolar disorder diagnosis and previously survived two suicide attempts related to depression. She married U.S. citizen Nathaniel Clemetson in February and the couple was preparing to file for her green card when she was arrested; she now has a deportation order that her lawyer is appealing.

A 33-year-old man from Ecuador was arrested by ICE agents on February 14 outside his home on Lombard Street in Fair Haven, Connecticut, less than two hours before he was scheduled to appear in state court. According to ICE, the man was arrested on an immigration warrant. The arrest occurred as masked federal agents surrounded his car, smashed the passenger-side window, and handcuffed him. At the time of his arrest, the man had an upcoming court hearing on charges related to child exploitation, and his case was rescheduled to March 10.

John Doe 5, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in his country of origin, had stable mental health while living with family before detention. After being detained at North Lake Processing Center, his mental health sharply declined—a change noted even by the immigration judge assigned to his case. By December 2025, eight months into his detention, he became non-verbal and unresponsive to his surroundings. He was subsequently moved to a dedicated medical facility for additional care, confirming that North Lake was not equipped to handle his needs.

Jane Doe, who has had high blood pressure for 10 years, experienced a medical emergency consistent with a hypertensive crisis after being denied her prescribed blood pressure medication at North Lake Processing Center. When she signaled distress to staff, they mocked her by making hand gestures rather than providing aid. Her blood pressure reached 229/134, well beyond the threshold of a hypertensive emergency, and she was transported to the hospital in shackles. The ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center documented her case as part of a broader investigation into dangerous medical neglect at the facility.

Z.M.A.V. and K.S.R.A., two individuals identified by A-numbers 208-272-491 and 208-272-492, were detained by immigration authorities on May 20, 2026. They had previously been released on an Order of Supervision. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted their habeas corpus petition and ordered their immediate release back to the same supervisory conditions that were in effect prior to their detention.

A teenager's father was arrested by ICE. The mother, who works as a cleaner and does not drive, now bears sole financial responsibility for the household, including $2,500 monthly rent, utilities, and legal fees. The family launched a fundraiser to help cover expenses.

Karla Soriano's husband was arrested and deported to Honduras five months prior to the article publication. Left to support two sons alone, Soriano has struggled to find stable employment—one employer threatened to call ICE when she asked to be paid. She is considering self-deporting to avoid potential detention, fearing she could be held in a detention center for five to six months.

Yanquiel Lima came to the U.S. from Cuba in 2023 under a humanitarian visa program that Trump ended in 2024. He was arrested shortly after the program's termination and denied a bond hearing under ICE's mandatory detention policy. He spent 10 months at Pearsall detention facility in a room with 64 other detainees sharing two toilets and three showers. He reported being served spoiled food and hearing racist comments from guards. He was placed in solitary confinement for six days after complaining about conditions.

Alvaro Barrera Leon, a Cuban national, was detained by ICE on November 13, 2025, after appearing for a scheduled check-in appointment despite having complied with all supervision requirements and having no criminal history. The petitioner filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of his detention under the Due Process Clause. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted the writ of habeas corpus, finding the petitioner's detention violated constitutional protections.

ICE agents stopped a blue sedan in the area of 11th Street and Jackson Street in North Chicago on Wednesday morning around 8:20 a.m. and detained the driver while a child was present in the vehicle. The detention was part of continued ICE enforcement activity across the Lake County area, with agents also conducting operations in Waukegan on the same day.

Sarath Lon, a Cambodian national, was arrested by ICE. He was previously convicted for murder in Fall River, Massachusetts. Ramos Ortiz-Lopez, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE. He was previously convicted for two felony counts of rape of a child in Washington County, Washington. Raul Retana-Ramos, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE. He was previously convicted for trafficking 400 grams or more of cocaine by possession and transport in Guilford County, North Carolina. Nazarjon Gayratjonovich Abdukahorov, an Uzbek national, was arrested by ICE. He was previously convicted for lure/entice child by various means in Essex County, New Jersey, and is a registered sex offender under Megan's Law. Daniel Leal, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE. He was previously convicted for attempted robbery causing physical injury in Jamaica, New York.

A woman identified as a parent was detained by federal agents just outside a North Hollywood elementary school immediately after dropping off her children on Wednesday morning. Witnesses recorded the detention in tactical gear near campus, and the incident sparked concern among parents about law enforcement activity near schools. No federal agency officially identified itself or stated a reason for the detention as of the latest reports.

An Indian family of four — parents Jagdish and Gurwinder, and children Guri (12) and Manpreet (11) — were detained by ICE during a routine check-in appointment in February 2026 and held at the Dilley family detention center in Texas. The family fled Punjab, India, after Jagdish converted from Sikhism to Catholicism and faced persistent threats and violence. They arrived in the U.S. in 2022 seeking asylum and settled in Los Angeles. During detention, Guri developed bleeding in his stools without specialist referral, Manpreet lost 6 pounds after a week of vomiting she attributed to tap water, and Gurwinder's arthritis and diabetes worsened without proper medication — her daughter helps her out of bed each morning. Both children have shown behavioral changes: Manpreet is often angry, Guri has stopped listening to his parents. Manpreet celebrated her 11th birthday in detention with a makeshift cake from commissary snacks — she said if there had been candles, she would have wished for her family to leave Dilley. The family reported no meat-free options on the days their Sikh-Hindu faith requires vegetarian meals. Manpreet stopped attending classes because they were taught in Spanish, which she does not speak. Guri stopped attending after his mother's health declined.

Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 21-year-old Venezuelan student at ELLIS Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was detained by ICE in May 2024 after attending a mandatory immigration court hearing in Lower Manhattan. He was transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, where an immigration judge denied his asylum claim in September 2024 and ordered his deportation to Venezuela. After nearly 10 months in detention, Contreras was released on March 18-19, 2025, while his legal team pursued an appeal of the deportation order. He returned to school while applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, subject to an ankle monitor and ICE check-ins as his asylum appeal remains pending. Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old high school student at Ellis Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was arrested by ICE agents in May 2025 at a Lower Manhattan courthouse after attending a mandatory immigration hearing. He was held in federal custody for nearly 10 months before being released on March 18, 2026, on his own recognizance with an ankle monitor. His detention was notable as the first widely documented case of a public school student in New York City being detained by federal agents under the Trump administration. A teenager named Ricardo was held in ICE detention and spent time in solitary confinement, prompting outrage from the Chicago community. His mother, Martha Liliana, and community members organized a rally calling for his release. Dylan, a 16-year-old high school student in the Bronx, was arrested by ICE when attending a routine court date at an immigration courthouse in New York City. The arrest occurred as part of ICE's campaign of arresting people at mandated immigration court hearings and fast-tracking deportations. Dylan, a 20-year-old student from Ellis Prep High School, was detained by ICE in May during an asylum hearing. He remains in ICE custody. This case is part of a pattern of ICE detention of NYC public school students attending legal hearings.

A 14-year-old minor was handcuffed and detained during an ICE raid in Manassas despite not being targeted by the operation. Virginia State Delegate Michelle Maldonado criticized the detention, stating that the minor was not charged with a crime and calling the incident a reckless disregard for human decency and constitutional protections.

A man who arrived in the United States at age two and was part of the DACA program was arrested during a traffic stop for a headlight violation and driving without a license. He was detained by ICE for six weeks across three facilities before being released on bond. He now faces deportation to Mexico within 120 days despite having no criminal history and having lived in the U.S. for nearly his entire life.

Marvin Len Morales was arrested by ICE during a raid in Manassas on Friday. According to reports, Morales has a criminal record and has been deported twice before. The raid was attended by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

A Cuban national was initially detained upon entering the United States on March 8, 2024, then released on humanitarian parole. After living at liberty for over a year while following all conditions of release and filing an asylum application, he was re-detained by ICE on May 19, 2026, following a routine traffic stop. The court found his re-detention violated due process rights because the government provided no finding of changed circumstances showing he was a flight risk or danger to the community, and granted his habeas petition ordering his immediate release.

Roswell Enrique Pérez Nieto watched as immigration agents detained his wife and 3-year-old son at an immigration court in San Antonio, Texas. The encounter was captured in footage obtained by Newsweek, which documented masked officers taking the family into custody.

A man who entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor in 2014 and was released to his mother's custody was arrested by ICE on May 19, 2026 after a traffic violation conviction. The court granted his petition for habeas corpus, finding his detention violated due process because he had been released by immigration authorities and established a life in California with his mother and two U.S.-born children. The court ordered his immediate release and required the government to provide a pre-deprivation bond hearing with clear and convincing evidence of flight risk or danger if it seeks to re-detain him.