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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4272 incidents with known locations
⚐ Highlighted incident #12416 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

Columbia student detained after ICE agents pose as police, later released

Feb 26, 2026New York, NY

Elmina Aghayeva, a senior at Columbia University's School of General Studies from Azerbaijan, was detained by federal immigration agents inside her university residential building. According to the university's acting president, agents gained entry by falsely claiming to be police searching for a missing child, and university security officers who asked to see a warrant were rebuffed. Aghayeva texted fellow students "Ice is in my house... They are trying to take me away. Can someone help me," and later posted on Instagram asking for help. She filed a habeas corpus petition in the Southern District of New York, and was released after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani raised her case with President Trump, who called to say she would be freed. DHS stated her student visa had been revoked a decade earlier and that she has been placed in removal proceedings.

Haitian man arrested by ICE while shopping, asylum claim pending

Jul 14, 2026San Juan, PRHaiti

A Haitian man with a pending asylum application was arrested by ICE on July 14, 2026, while exiting a supermarket in Barrio Obrero, San Juan, after purchasing groceries. According to community leader Jonathan Hernández, the man was detained roughly by approximately ten federal agents immediately after leaving the store. The man has had an active asylum petition pending since August 12, 2025. Community members including interpreter Leonard Prophil expressed concern that deportation to Haiti could endanger his life, given the documented dangers facing returned Haitian migrants.

Flight attendant Lorenzo Thompson detained by ICE at Nashville airport despite valid work permit and pending asylum case

Jul 14, 2026Nashville, TNJamaica

Lorenzo Thompson, a Jamaican citizen and Southwest Airlines flight attendant, was detained by ICE agents at Nashville International Airport on July 14, 2026, while returning from a work trip. Thompson lawfully entered the United States on April 17, 2021, on a six-month visitor visa and has been working as a flight attendant while pursuing legal status through an active asylum application. He holds a valid work permit and has no criminal record. His best friend Kristin Foster stated that Thompson is seeking refuge from life-threatening abuse, and colleagues described him as a well-liked, caring worker. Thompson and his supporters dispute ICE's characterization that he overstayed his visa, asserting he has followed legal procedures and maintained compliance with immigration requirements. He is being held at a correctional facility in Mississippi pending immigration proceedings. The Transport Workers Union Local 556 stated they are working with Thompson's attorney and committed to supporting him and his family.

Self-represented immigrant seeks habeas corpus relief from ICE detention

Jul 14, 2026Adelanto, CA

A self-represented immigration detainee filed a second habeas corpus petition seeking release from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. She initially obtained a May 28, 2026 order for individualized bond hearings before an immigration judge, but subsequently withdrew her request. She then filed a new action with an ex parte application for a temporary restraining order. The court denied the application for procedural deficiencies and referred the matter to the Federal Public Defender's office for potential counsel appointment.

Man with TPS detained by ICE at supermarket, family seeks answers

Jul 14, 2026Charlotte, NC

Darwin Alberto Gomez Corrales, an Uber and Lyft driver with Temporary Protected Status and a valid state driver's license, was arrested by ICE agents who shattered his vehicle window in the parking lot of a WOW Supermarket on South Boulevard in Charlotte. According to his wife, agents refused to explain the reason for his arrest or show a warrant, and he was denied the ability to speak with someone in Spanish or ask questions during the encounter. His wife reported that when detained, agents told him to "shut up" and used profanity when he requested a Spanish-speaking officer. Gomez Corrales is currently held at an ICE facility in South Georgia. He and his wife have two children.

Moroccan visa holder detained by ICE in Berkeley without city notice

Jul 14, 2026Berkeley, CAMorocco

A 30-year-old man from Morocco who entered the U.S. on a visa in 2025 was detained by ICE and State Department Diplomatic Security Service agents on Woolsey Street in Berkeley. According to ICE, he later violated the terms of his visa. The operation was conducted on June 9, 2026, without notification to Berkeley city officials or police, despite the city's sanctuary policy prohibiting police cooperation with immigration enforcement. The person was held at ICE's Golden State Annex facility in McFarland, Kern County, pending legal proceedings. This marked the first known ICE operation in Berkeley during the second Trump administration.

Australian man tackled by plainclothes ICE agents at Las Vegas airport, arrested next day in Los Angeles

Jul 14, 2026Las Vegas, NVVietnam

Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen born in Vietnam, was tackled and handcuffed by two plainclothes ICE agents in Terminal 3 of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on July 13, 2026. Nguyen had entered the United States legally on a visa in May 2013 but remained in the country after his authorized stay expired in May 2015. Bystander and filmmaker Chris Motley recorded the confrontation on the airport floor; when officers realized they were being filmed, they withdrew, leaving one handcuff attached to Nguyen's wrist. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrived and removed the handcuff, finding no outstanding warrants. The following day, ICE agents arrested Nguyen at Los Angeles International Airport as he boarded a departing flight. He is currently held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Centre in California pending removal proceedings.

Venezuelan man dies in ICE custody after medication denied during Georgia detention transfer

Jul 14, 2026Ocilla, GAVenezuela

Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan man, died on July 13, 2026, during a bus transfer between ICE detention centers in Georgia. ICE agents arrested him at his home in Dallas, Georgia on July 9, 2026. According to his sister, ICE allowed him to take only one of the multiple medications he needed despite the family's pleas not to detain him due to his medical needs. During his four days in detention at Irwin County Detention Center, Arenas-Silva called his sister to report that he was not receiving the medication he depended on. Staff found him unresponsive on the transfer bus between Irwin County Detention Center and Folkston ICE Processing Center at 7:46 a.m., and he was pronounced dead at Irwin County Hospital at 8:31 a.m. Cardiac arrest was listed as the suspected cause of death pending medical examination. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident. His death was one of four fatalities in immigration enforcement encounters within a single week.

Father detained by ICE after local custody release, asylum case pending

July 14, 2026Aurora, CO

Carlos Ernesto Guerra Cruz, who arrived in the United States four years ago with a pending asylum case, was detained by ICE on a Saturday following a local incident. He was initially taken to a detention facility in Centennial, Colorado, and after spending the weekend in custody, was told he would be released on Monday. However, as he was being released, ICE took him into custody and transferred him to the ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. His wife Yorliana and their two children, ages 8 and 12, are now facing financial and emotional hardship due to his detention.

12 detainees contract tuberculosis at Colorado ICE facility, quarantined without air conditioning

Jul 14, 2026Aurora, COMexico

At least 12 detainees at the Aurora ICE processing center in Colorado, operated by the Geo Group, contracted tuberculosis after a single confirmed case multiplied to 12 within three days of facility-wide testing. A Mexican man in his 30s detained there reported that infected and healthy detainees were kept together under quarantine in a housing pod of 88 people while the facility's air conditioning failed during a heat advisory with outdoor temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The man, who has pre-existing health conditions, received medication twice daily but described conditions as uncomfortable. His U.S. citizen partner expressed concern about the deteriorating situation and questioned why the for-profit operator could not repair the cooling system quickly. Staff provided only electric fans to cool the crowded pod.

Two people taken into custody during ICE operation in Madras

Jul 14, 2026Madras, OR

Two individuals were taken into custody by ICE on the morning of July 14, 2026 at a Love's gas station in Madras. Video posted by the Latino Community Association shows two masked individuals wearing bulletproof vests and bearing Police and U.S. Border Patrol markings approaching a group of vehicles. The Latino Community Association received multiple reports of immigration enforcement activity in the area and was working to confirm whether these individuals were among those transported to Tacoma Northwest Detention Center.

ICE arrests reported in Arcadia neighborhood; man chased from restaurant parking lot

Jul 14, 2026Arcadia, FL

On the morning of July 14, immigration agents in police vests and masks conducted enforcement operations in Arcadia, Florida. At La Placita Mexicana restaurant on U.S. Highway 17, Magi Velasquez, the restaurant manager, warned customers to flee after spotting agents asking for papers; agents chased a man who fled the parking lot. About 30 minutes later near a CVS a block away, witness J.F. observed agents arresting an elderly man close to 80 and another man in work clothes, forcibly loading them into a van. The Arcadia Police Department and DeSoto County Sheriff's Office both denied involvement, though both agencies have officers trained in immigration enforcement through 287(g) agreements. The incident occurred amid multiple ICE enforcement actions across Florida in recent days.

Father of two struck and killed by truck while fleeing ICE agents in Florida

Jul 17, 2026St. Augustine, FLMexico

Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old Honduran national and father of two, was fatally struck by a tractor-trailer on State Road 16 in St. Augustine, Florida on July 14, 2026, while fleeing ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents. Coronilla Durán had arrived in the United States three weeks earlier on a valid tourist visa to work, according to his wife Yésica Alamilla López. During an early-morning operation at a Wawa gas station parking lot near Interstate 95, federal agents stopped a vehicle with four occupants; all four fled on foot. While attempting to cross the busy highway, Coronilla Durán slipped on wet grass in the median and was struck by the semi-truck. A veterinary nurse and an off-duty firefighter among bystanders attempted to render aid and perform CPR at the scene, but he died at the location. His death occurred during a week in which at least three other fatalities were linked to immigration enforcement encounters under the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.

Man on valid visa arrested during asylum interview, separated from spouse and children

Jul 14, 2026Bakersfield, CA

A man who entered the U.S. on a valid visa and had complied with immigration appointments for seven years was arrested in the middle of his asylum interview. He faced transfer to a detention center near Bakersfield, separated from his American spouse and U.S.-born children. Attorney Elizabeth Knowles from the Bay Area Habeas Network filed an emergency habeas petition after midnight, and a federal judge ordered his immediate release within five hours.

Guatemalan immigrant detained at restaurant, wife fights for his release in federal court

Jul 14, 2026Weston, WVGuatemala

Erick Lionel Cristal Cumes, a Guatemalan immigrant, was detained by ICE on May 28 at Don Patron Mexican Grill in Weston during a raid that also resulted in the detention of more than a dozen other employees. He has been held at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania since his arrest. Cumes is married to Lauren, an American-born citizen whom he married in April; they have been together four years. His attorney argues ICE violated his constitutional rights by detaining him without individualized assessment of flight risk or danger to the community. A federal judge ruled Cumes is entitled to a bond hearing and that his continued detention would be unlawful if the government cannot prove he poses danger or flight risk, with a bond hearing ordered by July 14. Over 50 community members appeared in federal court on June 25 to support Cumes, testifying he is a member of the community in good standing. Lauren testified about poor detention conditions including spoiled food and lack of responsiveness to requests for help, stating she is allowed contact with her husband about once per day. His attorney also argued the case should remain in West Virginia court rather than be transferred to Pennsylvania, contending that transfer could delay resolution of his case.

Seven immigrants released after judge orders ICE to comply with court ruling on detention

Jul 14, 2026Nevada

U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II ordered the release of immigrants detained in Nevada facilities, accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement of defying his March 2026 ruling that the Trump administration's mandatory detention policy is unconstitutional. The detainees had been arrested without proper warrants and denied individualized determinations on whether they should be held or released on bond. Judge Boulware stated the individuals cannot be detained again until their removal proceedings are heard in immigration court, where the government must prove detention is justified by clear and convincing evidence. The judge described ICE's continued enforcement of the mandatory detention policy as "governmental lawlessness" and "rebelling" against his binding court order. Boulware warned he would consider sanctions against ICE officials who defied his orders and noted this was part of a broader pattern of ICE noncompliance with his directives in Nevada.

Columbia graduate detained 104 days, fights deportation after pro-Palestinian activism

Jul 14, 2026New York, NYSyria

Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and Columbia University graduate student of Syrian-Palestinian descent, was arrested by ICE without a warrant at his apartment building on March 8, 2025, following his pro-Palestinian activism and organizing campus protests. The Trump administration pursued deportation based on allegations he concealed prior employment with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and the British Embassy on his visa application. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked a rarely used immigration provision claiming his activism threatens U.S. foreign policy. Khalil was held for 104 days at LaSalle Detention Center in Louisiana before a federal judge released him on bail in June 2025. In July 2026, he filed a lawsuit against Trump administration officials and pro-Israel groups, alleging they conspired to target him and others for supporting Palestinian rights, claiming the administration coordinated with surveillance groups Betar and Canary Mission using a document called "Project Esther" as a blueprint.

Colombian man paroled into US detained without bond hearing, seeks habeas relief

Jul 13, 2026Pike County, PAColombia

A Colombian man, a citizen of Colombia, has been in the United States since December 29, 2024, when he presented at the border, was issued a Notice to Appear charging him as removable for lacking valid entry documents, and was granted parole and released on his own recognizance. He has applied for asylum. On July 13, 2026, he was arrested and detained by ICE and has remained in custody without a bond hearing since. He has no criminal history and no final order of removal, and is detained at the Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania. On July 20, 2026, he filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for a temporary restraining order in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, arguing that his detention under the mandatory detention provision of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) is unlawful because he was paroled into the country and is no longer 'seeking admission,' and that he is instead subject to the discretionary detention provision, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), which entitles him to a bond hearing.

ICE detains 13 people in separate operation at North Carolina national forest

Jul 13, 2026Pisgah National Forest, NC

In a separate enforcement action, ICE detained 13 people during an operation at Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina on July 13, 2026. The incident was cited alongside a similar operation at a Washington campsite as part of a pattern of immigration enforcement occurring on federal forest land.

Mother and son paroled into US in 2022 re-detained at ICE check-in, win habeas release

Jul 13, 2026Adelanto, CA

A mother and her adult son have lived in the United States since December 2022, when they were paroled into the country. The mother worked at a laundromat and supported her son's education, while the son worked at a food-packing facility, attended school, and earned his high school equivalency diploma. Both had complied with all ICE reporting requirements and had no criminal history. On July 13, 2026, over three and a half years after entering the country, they were detained without warning at a routine ICE check-in. They were held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus arguing their re-detention without notice or a hearing violated their Fifth Amendment due process rights. The government did not oppose their claims. The federal court granted the petitions, finding their re-detention violated due process, and ordered their release within 24 hours under their prior conditions of release, with return of their personal belongings and immigration documents.

Mexican national in ICE custody challenges removal order citing pending immigration petitions

Jul 13, 2026Watonga, OKMexico

A Mexican national and noncitizen is currently held in ICE custody at Diamondback Correctional Facility in Oklahoma. He has a final order of removal and is seeking to prevent his removal to Mexico or a third country. He claims membership in the Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) class of ICE detainees with pending immigration benefit applications, including U Visa petitions, and states he has a pending Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)-based petition that bears on his removability and eligibility for relief. He filed a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and moved for a stay of removal pending resolution of his petition, or alternatively, for a temporary restraining order (TRO). The Magistrate Judge recommended denying his motion for stay/TRO, finding the Western District of Oklahoma lacks jurisdiction to enjoin removal proceedings under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(g), which bars district courts from hearing claims arising from DHS decisions to execute removal orders.