Human Impact Project

An unnamed detained immigrant who began a hunger strike between October and December 2025 was subjected to forcible medical treatment in ICE custody, including force feeding, forced hydration, forced urinary catheterization, and involuntary blood draws, according to an ICE Health Service Corps document reviewed by the Guardian. The document confirms the Trump administration's use of forced medical treatment on hunger strikers since Trump began his second term. Healthcare associations and international human rights groups have described such practices as torture. An ICE Health Service Corps budget forecast noted at least seven detained people were on hunger strike in February 2026.

ICE agents conducted an enforcement operation at a Chevron gas station on Atlanta Highway in Forsyth County, detaining approximately 15 day laborers seeking work. Surveillance video shows agents chasing men through the parking lot and forcibly detaining them, with one agent knocking a man into a wall before handcuffing him. Business owner Jose Arellano, who had hired some of the detained men for his pressure washing company, expressed concern about the impact on local businesses and the community. The raid has left the area's day laborer population fearful, affecting local businesses that relied on this workforce.

A Venezuelan influencer known on social media as "La Real Muñeca" was detained by ICE agents at Orlando International Airport while preparing to board a flight. According to reports on social media, the agents were in plain clothes and were waiting near the boarding gate. She had been participating in a digital program called "La Prisión de Destino" and was heading back to her residence. A person close to the case reported that she has retained a lawyer. Immigration authorities have not publicly disclosed the reasons for her arrest or additional details about her legal situation.

Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor best known for roles in 'Northern Exposure,' 'Smoke Signals,' and 'The Last of Us,' was detained by four ICE agents at a bus stop in Redmond, Washington, while walking to Target. When she presented her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation—a form of identification recognized by federal agencies—the agents called it fake and claimed anyone could make one. Miles said the agents did not identify themselves when asked for names and badge numbers, and attempted to take her phone when she tried to call the tribal enrollment office to verify her ID. The agents left after a fifth agent whistled them back to their vehicles. Miles's son and uncle were also detained by ICE agents who initially rejected their tribal IDs before being released.

The petitioner, who had previously been released on parole in 2023 and again possibly in March 2026, was re-detained by immigration authorities on July 27, 2026. He is currently held at the Central Valley Annex Detention Facility. Government attorneys gave shifting and inconsistent explanations for the legal basis of his detention, first claiming he was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(1), then changing position to argue he was held under the discretionary detention statute, 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a). He filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus and a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated his due process rights. The court agreed, finding the case indistinguishable from its prior rulings requiring a neutral-arbiter bond hearing before re-detaining someone previously released on parole or bond. The court ordered his immediate release under the same conditions that applied before his July 2026 detention, without additional restrictions like electronic monitoring, and ruled that any future re-detention requires seven days' notice and a pre-deprivation bond hearing.

A Nicaraguan citizen entered the United States without inspection on November 8, 2022, and was briefly detained before being released on parole with routine ICE check-ins. He filed an asylum application on August 1, 2024, which remains pending, holds a valid work authorization card, and has no criminal history. For over 43 months, he complied with all supervision conditions and DHS repeatedly determined his physical detention was unnecessary. On July 27, 2026, ICE detained him during a scheduled immigration check-in in Los Angeles, alleging no violations, no changed circumstances, and no individualized basis for custody, and providing no pre-deprivation hearing. He filed a habeas petition and TRO application arguing his re-detention violated Fifth Amendment due process rights. The Government did not oppose the TRO. The court found he demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits, irreparable harm, and that the balance of equities favored release, ordering Respondents to immediately release him subject to narrowly tailored conditions and to file a status report within five days confirming release.

A 24-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by federal immigration agents at Seattle Center on July 27, just around the corner from where a mass shooting killed three people the previous day. An ICE spokesperson confirmed the arrest was for overstaying his visa and was not connected to the shooting. Witness Maya Crowder, 23, photographed the arrest and said it left her shaken, noting the arrest occurred at a tourist hub in the heart of the city. The arrest was one of nearly a dozen daytime arrests by masked agents in unmarked vehicles documented across Seattle since June.

Marvin Alexander Mejía Alvarado, a Honduran national with family in Memphis, died on July 27, 2026, weeks after being released from ICE detention. A federal judge in Colorado ordered his release on bond at the end of June after determining the government had not presented clear and convincing evidence to justify continued detention. After his release in early July, Mejía wrote to his aunt thanking God for allowing him to leave the detention facility and acknowledging the prayers that gave him strength to endure mistreatment by detention staff. His family reported that following his release, he experienced severe health complications they attribute to his treatment during detention, including lack of access to medications needed for a preexisting medical condition.

A Nicaraguan man is a native and citizen of Nicaragua who was ordered removed from the United States in 2012 and appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. The removal order became final in 2014. After 2014, he was released under an Order of Supervision and remained under supervision for nearly fifteen years. On July 27, 2026, he reported for a routine ICE check-in, where he was detained and subsequently transferred to River Correctional Facility where he remains. He filed a motion for a temporary restraining order seeking release under supervision, a detention hearing, and an injunction against removal from the United States or outside the Western District. The court denied his motion, finding that the requested preliminary relief mirrored the ultimate relief sought in his habeas corpus petition and should be addressed through standard habeas procedures rather than as an emergency TRO.

Tangieth Paola Carrasquero Lopez, 23, a Venezuelan asylum seeker with polycystic ovary syndrome, hepatitis steatosis, and obesity, was detained by ICE at a scheduled immigration appointment in Atlanta on July 27, 2026. Her treating gastroenterologist wrote that she requires ongoing medication (Tirzepatide) and monitoring, warning that interruptions in care could worsen her condition and metabolic health. Despite her medical needs, she has received only ibuprofen while detained at Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia and has not been provided her prescribed medication. Lopez, who entered the U.S. in 2021, was granted Temporary Protected Status in 2024 and had a job offer and was enrolled in English classes when detained; her partner said she has attended all required immigration appointments and has no deportation order.

Nepthali Zozaya Saucedo and Cinthia Sarai Cardona Otero, assistant pastors at Comunidad Cristiana Emanuel in Edinburg, Texas, were detained by immigration agents on Thursday while boarding a flight to a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association retreat—their first time away from their three children. The married couple was released on Saturday. During a Sunday worship service and press conference, they revealed that immigration agents allegedly mocked them and threatened family separation to coerce them to sign voluntary departure papers. DHS claimed they had overstayed a visa that expired in 2022, but faith leaders disputed this, saying the couple held valid religious worker visas. The couple must report to ICE in person in 6 months and call in monthly, with their immigration cases to be heard by an immigration judge.

Houman Rashidy, an Iranian citizen, was detained at Torrance County Detention Facility for approximately 13 months pending removal. On July 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kea W. Riggs granted Rashidy's petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, ordering his release. The court found no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, as removal to Iran is withheld and three countries (Canada, Brazil, Honduras) refused to accept him.

Erika and Edgard, a married couple and parents of two with a granddaughter, were removed from their car by ICE officers without explanation. Erika was injured during the arrest, sustaining bruises to her hands and arms. The couple have lived in the country as taxpayers with no legal problems and have worked to build a better life for their family. Their daughter Valeria is seeking legal representation funds to help them fight detention and reunite the family.

Luis Angel Cifuentes Rodas of Guatemala was driving a pickup truck when he attempted to flee from ICE agents on Walraven Drive in Teaneck. While evading agents, he crashed into a parked SUV, which struck a utility pole and brought down power lines onto the street and parked vehicles. Cifuentes Rodas was evaluated for head pain at the scene, arrested by ICE agents, and taken into federal custody. He received motor vehicle citations for reckless driving and driving on a sidewalk and will have his case heard by a Justice Department immigration judge.

A man described by a St. Louis Archdiocese spokesman as living a devout Catholic life was arrested by ICE after helping his daughter enlist in the U.S. Army. The spokesman said he has been treated poorly despite being 'just like the rest of us.' Further details on the man's background and legal status were not provided.

Alexander Jarquin-Jarquin, a Nicaraguan asylum seeker with a valid work permit and driver's license, was arrested on July 26, 2026, while on his way to work with no stated reason. He entered the U.S. in 2021 through the southern border, was released by ICE under parole, and has since obtained legal work authorization and worked 12-hour days supporting his elderly father in Nicaragua and his wife in the U.S. He has no criminal history. He is now in immigration custody with his case before an immigration judge, and his family is raising funds for legal fees and bond to secure his release and demonstrate community ties.

Five individuals were detained during check-ins at ICE's Malta field office on July 26, 2026. An emergency habeas petition was filed the same day to prevent their transfer outside the Northern District of New York. They were initially taken to Montgomery County jail, and a court ruling on Thursday allowed their transfer to the Batavia detention center with restrictions on further transport. At least one of the five was undergoing asylum case proceedings and had been detained a second time since arriving in the United States. The detentions occurred as the Trump administration issued new asylum policy guidance and as record-high ICE detentions were reported in July, including increased check-in operations.

Boanerges Flores and his wife, Alba Matamoro, came to Missouri from Nicaragua three years ago to seek asylum, saying it was unsafe to return because Flores had worked for the Nicaraguan government. The couple attended every scheduled check-in with ICE. During a routine appointment last week, agents detained Flores and placed Matamoro on an ankle monitor. Flores is now in deportation proceedings. The couple works in the Maplewood-Richmond Heights school district, where staff described them as model employees. Their 8-year-old daughter attends school in the same district. Matamoro said their daughter has struggled with the separation, and that explaining the family's potential move has been difficult. Court records show no criminal history for either of them.

A man was pulled over while driving to work and subsequently detained by ICE on an immigration hold, leading to his deportation. He is described as a devoted husband, father of three, and caregiver to his nephew whom he helped raise. He spent decades building his life in the United States and worked to support his family. His family is raising funds to cover immigration attorney costs, household expenses, and other urgent needs during this crisis.

Argenis Torres, a legal resident and, according to family, an honest, hard-working man who came to the country legally, was detained by ICE agents along with officers from the Caldwell County Sheriff Department and the U.S. Forest Service during a raid at Wilson Creek on July 26, 2026. Sheriff's deputies blocked exits while law enforcement chased mothers, fathers, and children into the creek, resulting in multiple arrests including Torres. His family states he was detained for no reason and never deserved to be threatened or treated this way. His cousin is raising funds for legal fees to secure his release.