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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4347 incidents with known locations
⚐ Highlighted incident #12537 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

20-year-old fish house worker detained by ICE while walking in New Bedford

Sep 25, 2026New Bedford, MA

Joselito Mateo Sam, 20, was taken into ICE custody while walking down a street in New Bedford, according to court filings reviewed by The Boston Globe. Probate court records show he entered the United States in 2024 at age 18, then moved in with two uncles in New Bedford and began working at a fish processing house. He was one of at least 34 people detained during a multi-day ICE sweep across the Massachusetts coast region, part of a broader operation that left families searching for information amid a tracking blackout. Local officials warned immigrants in the New Bedford area to stay home following the surge in arrests.

Venezuelan police officer detained and threatened with deportation to El Salvador

Jan 2025Anson, TXVenezuela

Jeferson Escalona, 19, a former Venezuelan police officer, was arrested by local Texas police in January 2025 for evading arrest in a vehicle and detained by ICE. He was transferred through Guantanamo Bay before arriving at Bluebonnet detention center. DHS claimed he was a self-admitted gang member based on hand gesture photos without providing evidence. Escalona denies gang ties and has requested voluntary return to Venezuela but was denied, fearing for his life.

ICE Detainee's Family Fundraises for Legal Fees to Fight Detention

Jan 2025Pittsburgh, PA

Leonela Marquez started a GoFundMe campaign in January 2025 after her husband, Mario Eduardo Fajardo Aviles, was detained by ICE. She described facing financial hardship including inability to pay rent, buy food, and afford diapers and formula, while also needing to pay thousands in legal fees. The case is one of hundreds of habeas corpus petitions moving through Pittsburgh's federal courthouse, driven by the presence of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County.

Immigration raid separates Texas family, children left without parents

Jan 1, 2025Donna, TXMexico

Immigration agents raided a family home in rural Donna, Texas, in January, arresting Julio Orosco and Lucero Garza, who had been living in the country without authorization. Garza was deported to Mexico while Orosco remains in custody. Their children, ages 11 through 22, have had to assume caretaking responsibilities and have become withdrawn and isolated.

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