Human Impact Project

Elder Yuvini Aguilar Macario, a 19-year-old senior and soccer team captain at Trion High School in Georgia, was detained by ICE on May 1-2, 2026, following a traffic stop when officers discovered he lacked a valid driver's license. ICE discovered a prior deportation order dating back 13 years to his mother's denied asylum application when he was six years old, and placed a detainer on him through the 287(g) program. He was transferred to Irwin County Detention Center and later to Folkston ICE Processing Center, approximately 300 miles from his home in northwest Georgia, where he described being shackled during transport. Before his arrest, Aguilar Macario was a member of the soccer team and had begun taking welding classes at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. He missed his high school graduation ceremony, though his classmates gave him a standing ovation when his name was called and placed his cap, robe, and photo on an empty chair in his honor. His attorneys have filed to reopen his immigration case.

Jose Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan man, was detained at Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on July 18. The next day, he experienced a seizure and was taken to University Hospital. He was released from ICE custody on July 22 but subsequently died. DHS did not publicly disclose his death, citing a 2023 policy change stating that ICE is no longer responsible for monitoring or reporting deaths occurring within 30 days of someone's release from custody. U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez disclosed the death publicly and criticized the policy as creating a "loophole" that allows ICE to avoid accountability.

Camila, a 5-year-old girl from Atlixco, Mexico, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in summer 2025 and was detained in federal immigration custody for 118 days, separated from her mother who lived only a few miles away in New Haven, Connecticut. Unable to be taken by her parents due to their immigration status, the government classified her as "unaccompanied." During detention, Camila was held first in a CBP detention center, then in a Connecticut shelter where she was the youngest child present, and finally in an office building converted for federal use. She saw her mother, who has a pending legal residency application, for only one hour per week. A child psychiatrist's evaluation documented that Camila experienced nightmares, anxiety about family separation, and fear expressed through play. Her mother applied for custody but waited more than 90 days without receiving a decision, as the federal government repeatedly added requirements before deeming her application complete. Camila was released three days after her attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of her detention. She is now home with her mother and newborn brother, though she continues to experience separation anxiety and sleeps with her mother at night. During the same period, more than two dozen unaccompanied immigrant children were in federal custody in Connecticut on any given day, with some held for as long as 505 days.

A professional drummer who entered the U.S. on a B-1 visa in July 2023 and filed for asylum a month later was arrested by ICE at Los Angeles International Airport on July 18, 2026, while returning home to Florida with his wife after a work trip teaching marimba to younger musicians. His visa expired in May 2024, but he was never detained; instead, he was granted employment authorization valid through February 2029 and continued performing for arts organizations. In 2024 he began dating a U.S. citizen, whom he married in August 2025, and shortly after marrying he filed an alien relative petition; both his asylum and relative petitions remain pending. He has no criminal history and was held at the Desert View Annex detention facility in Adelanto, California. He filed a habeas corpus petition seeking a bond hearing or immediate release, arguing the government's years of tolerance created a liberty interest requiring due process before detention. The court agreed, finding his detention without a pre-deprivation hearing violated the Fifth Amendment, and ordered his release within 24 hours under the same conditions that existed before his detention.

Pierre Andy Jean-Louis, a 20-year-old Haitian migrant, was arrested by ICE on July 18, 2026, during a vehicle stop in Fall River, Massachusetts. Jean-Louis entered the United States in September 2024 at Nogales, Arizona, and was released on a two-year parole by Customs and Border Protection. In June 2026, he was charged in Fall River District Court with felony counts including possession of child pornography, indecent assault and battery, and extortion by threat of injury. He is scheduled to appear in Fall River District Court for a probable cause hearing and before an immigration judge.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, a father of three who immigrated 21 years ago seeking safety, was detained by State Highway Patrol on July 18, 2026, during a family beach vacation in Myrtle Beach after being pulled over for a broken headlight. Despite being eligible for a $232 PR bond that would have allowed immediate release, he was placed on a 48-hour ICE hold due to his immigration status and Horry County's close cooperation with ICE. Rodriguez has no history of violent crimes and has spent his life providing for his family and helping those in need. His daughter, a 20-year-old biology student at UNC Greensboro, describes him as the backbone of the family—both financially and emotionally—and notes he is being deported to a country he has not visited in over 24 years, leaving his wife to care alone for their two other children, including an 18-year-old son with severe autism.

Helena Tobias, 8 months pregnant with two other young sons, was left as the sole caregiver after her husband was recently apprehended and deported by ICE. Unable to work due to lack of childcare, she faces financial hardship covering rent and groceries. A coworker organized a fundraiser to help support the family during this period.

Andrea Cristina Villacis Duque and her immediate family were detained by ICE. Described as a loving sister, daughter, and friend to many, Andrea Cristina is the subject of a GoFundMe campaign organized by Roberto Gonzalez on behalf of HeartKind Foundation to raise funds for immigration attorneys' fees, food allowances, phone call balances, and other detention-related costs, with the goal of avoiding deportation.

A Honduran father was detained by ICE on July 18, 2026, in Austin, Texas, in front of his young daughter who has autism. According to the source, the man is now held in immigration detention in San Antonio facing deportation. His wife stated that if he is deported, she and their daughter plan to self-deport to keep the family together.

Neride Montoya was detained by ICE in the United States for three months before being deported to Venezuela. She arrived in Caracas on the same day a major earthquake struck the country. Shortly after landing, she was taken to a building by authorities when the earthquake began. She attempted to escape down the stairs but a wall collapsed on her, injuring her severely. She sustained fractures in two bones of her right leg, multiple traumatic injuries to her left leg and other parts of her body. She was trapped under rubble but managed to remove debris from her head to her waist before someone helped free her legs. She is now hospitalized at Hospital General del Sur, where she is fighting a serious infection and severe psychological trauma.

Five immigrants detained by ICE at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami reported experiencing severe conditions including cramped, scorching-hot cells, widespread cockroach infestations, broken toilets overflowing with waste, and denial of medical care. According to accounts from detainees, their relatives, and a prison employee, men sleep in their underwear to keep cool and sweat through bedsheets due to extreme heat. Family members and advocates reported severe overcrowding with up to 97 men in cells designed for 50, lack of air conditioning during extreme heat, inadequate medical care, cockroach-infested meals, and forced consumption of contaminated water. Families alleged that detainees who spoke to media about these conditions faced retaliation, including solitary confinement and warnings from officers not to speak publicly. The facility, a Bureau of Prisons location, has housed ICE detainees as part of mass deportation operations, with many detainees recently transferred from other regional holding centers including the now-closed Alligator Alcatraz facility.

Guadalupe Moreno Cristin is detained at Adelanto's Desert View Annex detention facility in California. During his detention, his health has worsened significantly. He spent four days in the hospital due to internal bleeding, and according to his account, doctors recommended he remain hospitalized for two additional days, but ICE returned him to the detention facility before completing the recommended care. The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice is advocating for his release and access to necessary medical treatment.

Denise Epieyu was detained by ICE while traveling to work. Her family created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal representation to help Denise navigate the immigration process and secure her release from the GEO detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. The family stated that legal expenses exceed what they can afford on their own.

Alim Garipov, an 18-year-old Russian senior at Bellaire High School in Houston, was detained by ICE at Hobby Airport on July 17, 2026, while traveling with family to visit colleges. Garipov arrived in the United States on May 7, 2022, at age 14 with authorization to remain until November 6, 2022, but stayed in the country after his authorized period expired. He has a pending asylum application from Russia. Teachers and former classmates described Garipov as hardworking, kind, and a standout swimmer who served as team captain. Educator Elizabeth Chapman stated he "has done everything right" and described him as "the kindest, most sensitive boy." Garipov founded the school's Russian Culture Club and worked to learn English. He was held in ICE detention in Conroe for more than 72 hours. U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher's office worked with the family on the case.

Shaoping Wu, a 48-year-old Chinese human rights lawyer, was detained by ICE in mid-July 2026 while working as an Amazon delivery driver in Pennsylvania. Wu fled China in 2019 after the government cracked down on lawyers challenging authorities in civil rights cases. He arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa, filed for asylum in 2020, and received work authorization. He had been working full-time as a delivery driver since April 2025 while continuing his advocacy work criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. Wu was living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his wife Li Caoliu and their 17-year-old daughter, a Hempfield High School student. During his arrest, he informed police about his pending asylum application, but they notified immigration officials who detained him at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife expressed concern about lost income and mounting bills while helping with his defense. Human rights organizations have warned that Wu could face serious retaliation if deported to China.

Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen born in Vietnam, was confronted by plainclothes ICE agents at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on July 13, 2026. Video footage shows agents holding him on the ground and attempting to handcuff him while he was in Terminal 3. When onlookers and a TSA officer intervened, the agents walked away, leaving him with a handcuff attached to one wrist. Las Vegas police officers arrived and removed the handcuff after determining there were no outstanding warrants against him. According to DHS, Nguyen's valid two-year visa had expired in 2015. ICE arrested him the following day at Los Angeles International Airport, and he is currently held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center pending removal proceedings.

A driver on Highway 211 near Woodburn, Oregon was pulled over by an SUV using red and blue emergency-style lights on July 17, 2026. Two men got out, one carrying a rifle, identified themselves as ICE agents, forced the driver from their vehicle, searched them, and placed them in the back of the SUV, where a third man assaulted them. The driver was held for 15 to 20 minutes before being released and later sought hospital treatment for injuries. Oregon State Police and the FBI are investigating, and authorities confirmed the men were not actual federal law enforcement officers.

Oregon State Police are investigating a report that three masked men impersonating ICE agents stopped a driver on Highway 211 in Clackamas County, Oregon, on July 17, 2026. Police said two of the men, one carrying a rifle, pulled the driver from their car, searched them, and placed them in the back of an unmarked SUV, where a third man assaulted them before releasing them 15 to 20 minutes later. The victim was treated at a hospital for injuries and later received a text message from a number claiming to be a law firm offering legal help. Oregon State Police and the FBI are investigating the incident as an alleged impersonation of federal agents and assault.

The petitioner, a native of Venezuela, was released under an order of supervision in the United States in August 2011 after applying for withholding of removal, though her exhibits do not confirm the withholding was actually granted. She was detained by ICE during a scheduled check-in appointment on July 17, 2026, and was told her order of supervision had been revoked. She is currently held at Richwood Correctional Center. She filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that revocation of her supervision order violated her due process rights and that authorities were unlikely to deport her to a third country within a reasonable timeframe. She later filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order after being informed she was scheduled for removal to either Venezuela or Mexico, seeking immediate release or an order blocking her removal pending review of her habeas claims. The court denied the TRO motion, finding no threat of imminent harm beyond her impending removal and ruling that federal courts lack jurisdiction over claims tied directly to execution of removal orders.

ICE agents in Lakewood, Washington detained 23-year-old Venezuelan citizen Moises Velasquez while searching for a Mexican national with a final deportation order who drove the same make and model car. Velasquez, who entered the U.S. legally through a CBP appointment in 2023, was paroled, obtained employment authorization, and was awaiting a December 2026 asylum hearing when agents broke his car window and arrested him outside the barber shop where he works. A federal magistrate judge called the arrest 'egregious,' finding officers failed to verify his identity or license plate before detaining him, and granted his habeas corpus petition; he was released from the Tacoma ICE detention facility. His attorney said Velasquez has no criminal convictions and had built a life in the community with his pregnant partner.