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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4260 incidents with known locations
⚐ Highlighted incident #12432 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

Detained Belarusian cancer survivor's health worsens in ICE custody

Sep 4, 2026Leavenworth, KSBelarus

Katsiaryna Bartko, a 33-year-old Belarusian asylum seeker and thyroid cancer survivor, is being held at the CoreCivic-operated Midwest Regional Reception Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, where her partner says her medical condition has severely deteriorated. Lab records show her thyroid-stimulating hormone level spiked to more than 31 times the normal range, with dropping calcium levels causing pain, spasms and voice loss, and she has not been seen by an endocrinologist despite a referral. Days before a federal court hearing on her medical care, she was moved to a solitary isolation room and staff allegedly attempted to confiscate legal documents she had prepared for the hearing. Bartko entered the U.S. legally in 2022 and applied for asylum in 2023 after speaking out against the Belarusian government and the war in Ukraine.

Community member detained by ICE at Denver DMV while applying for driver's license

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Jul 22, 2026Denver, CO

A community member was detained by ICE agents at a Denver DMV office while applying for a driver's license. The person had a pending asylum case, valid work authorization, and no criminal record, according to the post. Their family and church are requesting prayers and calling for justice and respect for the person's dignity while awaiting their release.

Truck crashes into Sterling home during ICE pursuit, no arrests made

Jul 22, 2026Sterling, VA

An ICE operation in Sterling, Virginia on July 22 ended when a white pickup truck being pursued by federal agents crashed into a residential home after the driver fled an unsuccessful traffic stop. The vehicle rolled down a hill into the unoccupied residence, causing property damage. ICE agents made no arrests during the operation. The homeowner reported that neither ICE nor those involved have assumed responsibility for the damage.

TCU student Luis Andrade-Garcia deported to El Salvador after Arlington arrest

Jul 22, 2026Arlington, TXEl Salvador

Luis Andrade-Garcia, 20, a Texas Christian University student from El Salvador who arrived in the U.S. at age 3, was arrested on June 28 in Arlington after police spotted his parked vehicle near Meadowbrook Park and he drove away. He was charged with disorderly conduct and fleeing from a police officer, later pleaded down to a class C misdemeanor, and paid approximately $200 in fines. An immigration hold was placed on him while in custody at Tarrant County Jail. ICE took him into custody on July 10 and deported him to El Salvador on July 22. Andrade-Garcia was a double major in accounting and business information systems at TCU, graduated as valedictorian from Sam Houston High School in 2024, ran cross country, received multiple scholarships, and mentored young Latino students in the community. Members of his fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi, described him as 'genuine, hardworking, selfless, honest, dependable and humble.' According to ICE, Andrade-Garcia had entered the U.S. in 2009 and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in March 2010 but remained in the country. His fraternity chapter launched a 'Lambda Week of Action' and created a GoFundMe that raised over $11,000 to assist him and his family.

Two arrested in federal operation near Clara Barton Parkway

Jul 22, 2026Potomac, MD

U.S. Park Police and federal officers, including ICE, conducted an enforcement operation on Clara Barton Parkway on Wednesday morning. Three occupants fled a vehicle during the stop; after a pursuit, two people were taken into custody while a search for the third person was called off. No details regarding the identity of those arrested or charges were available. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded to search the Potomac River between Lock 7 and Lock 10 out of concern that some fleeing individuals may have entered the water.

Man chased and detained by ICE agents while cycling in Florida

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Jul 22, 2026Bonita Springs, FL

A man was pursued on foot by ICE agents in Bonita Springs, Florida while riding a bicycle. According to witness video, an unmarked vehicle made a U-turn to intercept him, and when the agents exited the vehicle, the man abandoned his bicycle and ran. He was detained in a nearby commercial parking lot.

Rohingya man detained by ICE upon landing at U.S. airport

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Jul 21, 2026Myanmar

Min Khant Zaw, a Rohingya man who fled genocide in Myanmar, was detained by ICE on July 21 when he landed at a U.S. airport. According to the post, Zaw had been residing legally in the U.S. and is described as an activist and environmentalist. He remains in custody without having committed any crime, according to the account.

Army veteran's wife detained at green card interview, deported to Lithuania after 66 days

Jul 21, 2026Chicago, ILLithuania

Airida Gould, a Lithuanian national and licensed massage therapist who has lived in the United States for 26 years, was detained by ICE on May 16, 2026, during a green card interview at which USCIS had just approved her marriage petition. Gould is married to U.S. Army veteran Mark Gould and has three U.S.-born adult children. ICE officers handcuffed and detained her based on a 2009 removal order issued after she missed a court hearing due to road construction. During her 66 days in ICE custody, Gould was held at multiple facilities including Broadview, Illinois, Brazil, Indiana, and Kentucky. She described conditions at the Brazil facility as extremely poor. Her legal team, led by former immigration court Judge Carla Espinoza Grcic, filed an Emergency Motion to Reopen with the Board of Immigration Appeals. According to her husband's social media posts, Gould was deported on July 21, 2026.

Salvadoran man held at Virginia detention center wins court-ordered bond hearing

Jul 21, 2026Farmville, VAEl Salvador

A native and citizen of El Salvador who entered the United States in 2007 was detained on July 21, 2026, and has been held at the Farmville Detention Center in Virginia. He filed a federal habeas corpus petition arguing that he was being detained under the discretionary detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than the mandatory detention provisions of § 1225(b)(2), and that his prolonged detention without a bond hearing violated his due process rights. He sought release or, alternatively, a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge. The government argued he remained an 'applicant for admission' subject to mandatory detention under § 1225(b)(2) because he had not been lawfully admitted. The court found his case indistinguishable from numerous similar rulings in the district and concluded that § 1226(a)'s discretionary framework applies to him since he was already inside the country. The court granted the petition, ordering that he receive a bond hearing within seven days and enjoining the government from denying bond based on § 1225(b)(2) or from rearresting him after release except under limited circumstances.

U.S. Army veteran released from ICE detention after 9 months, alleges sexual assault by guard

Jul 21, 2026Tacoma, WAJamaica

Garnet Smith, a 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran originally from Jamaica, was released from the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma on July 21, 2026, after spending over nine months in ICE detention. During his detention, Smith reported experiencing sexual assault by a GEO Group guard during a pat-down search, as well as inadequate medical care for a broken hand and poor detention conditions including inedible food and foul drinking water. A federal judge granted Smith's habeas corpus petition on July 20, finding that his earlier bond hearing violated his due process rights and that his prolonged detention was unlawful. Smith continues to fight a deportation order to Jamaica while advocates call for an investigation into the alleged sexual assault.

Guatemalan man detained by ICE following release from state custody

Jul 21, 2026Billerica, MAGuatemala

ICE arrested Rocael Ordonez-Cruz, 23, a Guatemalan national, on July 21 at the Middlesex County House of Correction following his release from state custody. Local authorities had arrested him on June 25 and charged him with assault to rape, rape, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older, and indecent exposure. ICE alleged he entered the United States illegally and served him with a notice to appear before an immigration judge; he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Indian national detained after immigration court removal order

Jul 21, 2026Sacramento, CAIndia

An Indian national who entered the U.S. in September 2022 was arrested by ICE on July 21, 2026, immediately after an Immigration Judge ordered his removal at a scheduled hearing in Sacramento Immigration Court. He had been released on recognizance and enrolled in an Alternatives to Detention program, where he maintained lawful employment and complied with all requirements. On July 22, 2026, he timely appealed his removal order to the Board of Immigration Appeals, making it not administratively final. The court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding his re-detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, and ordered his immediate release.

Eduard Portillo arrested by ICE, family raises funds for legal defense

July 21, 2026San Antonio, TX

Eduard Portillo, described by his mother Fanny as a dedicated father, son, brother, and friend who works hard to support his child, was arrested by ICE. His family is raising money to cover legal expenses needed for his immigration release and to help reunite the family.

Artemio Romero arrested by ICE while commuting to work, family fundraises for legal defense

Jul 21, 2026Paducah, KYMexico

Artemio Romero, 28, was arrested by ICE on July 21, 2026, while commuting to his job in Paducah, Kentucky, and taken to a holding facility in Hopkinsville. He has lived in the United States since age two and is the primary breadwinner for his mother and two younger brothers, whom he has helped raise. Described as a gifted artist, dancer, and gamer known for his humor and warmth, Romero is a role model and father figure to his younger brother Luis. His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal representation, living expenses, and potential resettlement in Mexico if he is deported.

Man convicted of firearm possession deported to Mexico, wanted for homicide

Jul 21, 2026Laredo, TXMexico

Agustin Morales-Renteria, a 24-year-old, was deported to Mexico on July 21, 2026, where he is wanted for aggravated homicide. Morales-Renteria first entered the U.S. without authorization in September 2021 and was expelled under COVID-19 protocols, but reentered without authorization in October 2021 to evade prosecution after Mexican authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. In December 2024, ICE encountered him at a sheriff's office in Jackson County, Missouri, following his arrest for tampering with a motor vehicle and felony drug possession, though no immigration action was taken at that time. In November 2025, he was convicted of being a noncitizen in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. After his release from federal custody in May 2026, ICE took custody of him, and an immigration judge ordered his removal on July 2, 2026. He was deported from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to Mexican authorities at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas. Juan Becerra Ruiz, 24, was deported to Mexico on July 21, 2026, after an immigration judge ordered his removal. Becerra Ruiz is wanted in Mexico for intentional homicide on a warrant issued in Querétaro on October 21, 2022. He entered the U.S. without authorization at an unknown date and location. In May 2026, U.S. Border Patrol received notice of the warrant and his location in the Houston area. On June 4, 2026, Border Patrol agents detained him during a traffic stop in Spring, Texas, and transferred custody to ICE. An immigration judge ordered his removal on June 30, and ICE completed the deportation on July 21, transferring him to Mexican authorities at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas.

Man detained at T. Don Hutto challenges immigration detention without bond

Jul 21, 2026Taylor, TX

A man detained at T. Don Hutto Detention Center has filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging the lawfulness of his detention without bond. He claims his detention violates his Fifth Amendment rights and the Immigration and Nationality Act. The petition indicates he is in removal proceedings but does not specify his country of origin, immigration status, employment history, family ties, or how long he has lived in the United States. On July 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ordered respondents to show cause by July 27, 2026, why the writ should not be granted. The court also issued a stay preventing his removal from the United States or transfer outside the Austin Division pending litigation.

Mother detained at DNA test appointment while seeking custody of daughter in shelter

Jul 21, 2026TexasEl Salvador

F.S., a 32-year-old asylum seeker from Guatemala, was arrested by ICE after beginning the vetting process to gain custody of her 13-year-old son, who has been in a federal shelter for over eight months as of July 2026. F.S. fled Guatemala in 2023 due to violence and had been living in the U.S. while her asylum case was pending, making four-hour drives to visit her son weekly at the shelter. When she came forward to sponsor him, ICE arrested her as part of the Trump administration's operation targeting undocumented sponsors. Her son's mental health has severely deteriorated during his prolonged shelter stay; he has been prescribed anxiety medications and was recently admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Both mother and son have agreed to accept deportation to reunite sooner. F.S. fears retaliation for speaking publicly about her case.

Ecuadorian au pair detained by plainclothes ICE agents at Denver airport jet bridge

Jul 21, 2026Denver, COEcuador

Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian au pair and software developer, was detained by plainclothes ICE agents at Denver International Airport while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight to Oakland. She had entered the U.S. lawfully on a J-1 exchange visitor visa in early 2023 and, before that visa expired, filed an immigration application allowing her to remain with federal authorization while her case was pending, according to her attorney Laura Lichter. ICE alleged she had overstayed her visa, but Lichter said Rojas "followed the rules of her program" and worked legally under federal employment authorization as a software developer for a recycling app company in Oakland. Agents in civilian clothing removed her from the jetway and placed her in a Homeland Security van as friends and fellow passengers watched, and the arrest was captured on video that circulated widely amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement at U.S. airports. She was transferred to the Aurora ICE Processing Center, where a federal immigration judge later ordered her release on a $3,000 bond. The family she worked for said, "She is a part of my family. She has never hurt anyone and just lives a quiet life. She came here legally and tried to do everything right."

Multiple people detained by ICE in migration enforcement operation in Georgia

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Jul 21, 2026Canton, GA

Multiple people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a migration enforcement operation in Canton, Georgia. According to a Facebook Live recording by a witness, the detainees were transported in different vehicles to a parking lot, where agents made them exit the vehicles and gathered them before transferring them to a van for continued transport.

14-year-old witnesses father arrested by ICE at traffic stop on I-5 near Chehalis

Jul 21, 2026Little Rock, AR

Ezequiel Pacas Sr., a 37-year-old contractor, was arrested by ICE during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 near Chehalis, Washington on June 27 while driving with his 14-year-old son Ezequiel Jr. to a painting job. According to video and the son's account, ICE agents arrived with guns drawn and told Pacas Sr. they had a warrant for his arrest, though his wife Kassondra says agents never showed her any documentation. The arrest left Ezequiel Jr. overwhelmed and abandoned at the scene until his mother arrived after receiving his location. Pacas Sr. is being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. His wife says the family's four children are all U.S. citizens and the family has struggled emotionally since the arrest, living in constant fear.

Guatemalan immigrant beaten by ICE agents, hospitalized with broken nose and teeth

Jul 21, 2026Atlanta, GAGuatemala

Marco Antonio Roblero Pérez, a 25-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, was arrested by ICE agents at a gas station in Chamblee, Georgia on July 19, 2026, while stopping to buy drinks on his way to work. According to his family and eyewitness accounts, agents subjected him to physical strikes, a chokehold, and electric shocks with a taser during the arrest. He was hospitalized in Atlanta with a broken nose, broken teeth, severe facial trauma, and spinal injuries requiring a cervical neck brace. An ICE agent remained stationed at his hospital bed during his recovery. His family has questioned the medical care he received, while ICE agents stated they used a stun gun during the operation.