Human Impact Project

Eight migrants from Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, Angola, and Zimbabwe were deported to Cameroon on February 16, 2026, as part of a secret third-country removal program. They were held in detention in Yaoundé without documentation, due process, or contact with attorneys, and faced conditions including inadequate food and coercion to 'voluntarily' return to their home countries.

Efrem Yemane Berhe, a Cincinnati business owner and father of two from Eritrea, was detained by ICE agents outside his home on February 16, 2026, after living legally in the U.S. for 15 years. His detention stems from a civil immigration matter related to a prior marriage. A judge denied his bond request on March 5 citing flight risk concerns, and his family is appealing the decision while he awaits a green card hearing scheduled for April 30.

More than 80 Minnesotans filed a lawsuit detailing use-of-force and intimidation by ICE agents. The lawsuit documents incidents involving excessive force and intimidation tactics used during enforcement operations in Minnesota.

Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, a 27-year-old from Guatemala, died on February 16 at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami while in ICE custody. He collapsed unexpectedly and became unresponsive despite life-saving efforts. According to ICE officials, Garcia-Hernandez had a long history of severe medical complications and was in poor health when taken into custody in January 2025 following a 2024 weapons conviction. The exact cause of death remains under investigation.

A grand jury indicted Braulio Jara-Alvarez on federal gun and drug charges after his arrest by Topeka police on an ICE detainer in February 2026. Jara-Alvarez faces charges including unlawful reentry after deportation, methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute, and illegal firearm possession. ICE took custody of Jara-Alvarez on February 20 following his arrest at the Shawnee County Jail.

Dmytro Kulik, a Ukrainian father who fled the war and arrived in the U.S. in late 2023 under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian program, was detained by ICE agents near a Walmart in Minneapolis in January while loading groceries. His wife and daughter's applications for conditional release were approved, but his remained pending when immigration authorities arrested him. Kulik fears deportation back to Ukraine where he may be forced to fight, and his family worries they could also be detained.

ICE stopped a vehicle on Interstate 35 at the 19th Street exit in Moore. During the stop, a father was taken into custody by ICE while his 17-year-old son was left alone on the side of the highway.

Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen and Lake View High School junior from Chicago, died from metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma on February 13, 2026. Her father, Ruben Torres-Maldonado, an undocumented immigrant, was detained by ICE agents at a Home Depot in October 2025 during the Trump administration's 'Operation Midway Blitz' enforcement initiative. While undergoing hospice care for stage 4 cancer, Ofelia posted social media videos calling for her father's release from custody. Three days before her death, an immigration judge ruled that Torres-Maldonado was entitled to cancellation of removal based on the hardship his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children, granting him protection from deportation and the ability to pursue permanent residence.

Ruben Torres Maldonado, a home painter who has lived in the U.S. since 2003, was arrested by ICE agents on October 18, 2025, outside a Home Depot in the Chicago area and detained at the Broadview ICE facility before being transferred to Clay County, Indiana. His arrest occurred shortly after his 16-year-old daughter Ofelia returned home from the hospital, where she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Her cancer treatments were put on hold during his detention. A federal judge ruled that Torres Maldonado's detention violated his due process rights. An immigration judge set his bond at $2,000, which his family paid, and ruled him conditionally entitled to cancellation of removal based on family hardship, noting he poses no danger to the public and has strong family and community ties. He was released on Thursday, October 30, reuniting him with his family. On February 15, 2026, Ofelia died after her cancer battle. An immigration judge's ruling on her death came three days before, granting Torres Maldonado a pathway to lawful permanent residence.

Greggy Sorio, a 37-year-old man from the Philippines held at Tacoma's Northwest ICE Processing Center, was released following a federal court order that deemed his detention unconstitutionally punitive. While in ICE custody, Sorio developed a serious bone infection that resulted in the amputation of one of his toes and part of his foot, along with other serious health conditions including ulcerative colitis and acute blood loss anemia. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin found that the detention center staff engaged in unreasonable treatment and failed to provide adequate medical care. Sorio still faces a deportation order despite his release from detention.

A Cuban citizen who entered the U.S. in 2021 and filed for asylum in 2022 was arrested by Lee County Sheriff's Office in Florida on February 14, 2026 for disorderly public intoxication and property damage. This encounter with police prompted ICE to arrest and detain him at California City Immigration Processing Center. The federal court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered the government to provide him a bond hearing within 14 days.

Arturo Gonzalez, a San Diego community patroller, was arrested in Logan Heights. The San Diego ICE/ERO Office had previously released a statement regarding Gonzalez's alleged criminal history, which appears to be unrelated to the arrest.

A man was arrested by ICE at his family home in San Jose on February 14, 2026, following an Immigration Judge's decision ordering his detention without bond. The IJ found by clear and convincing evidence that he was a danger to the community based on recent incidents involving law enforcement in 2025. He challenged his detention claiming violations of his procedural and substantive due process rights, but the court denied his habeas petition.

ICE agents arrested 19-year-old Brian Nataren at an Olathe Walmart parking lot on February 14 after stopping his vehicle, whose license plate was associated with a person with an outstanding warrant. Nataren was determined to be a U.S. citizen and was later released. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas announced it is reviewing the incident and decided not to pursue charges against him.

A teenage girl who entered the United States as a refugee was arrested and detained overnight by ICE agents in a hotel room in Minneapolis. According to her allegations, immigration authorities separated her from her family and forced her to share a room with federal agents during the detention. The incident prompted protests outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, with demonstrators opposing the enforcement action.

An NBC News investigation found that Department of Homeland Security officers conducting Trump's immigration crackdown used less-lethal weapons including rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray on protesters. Officers shot 13 people with guns and injured hundreds more. Courts in at least four states found that force was used inappropriately and indiscriminately. The use of these weapons began in late spring and summer in California and Oregon, expanded to Chicago in the fall, and reached Minneapolis where officers shot and killed two protesters.

Diana Butnarciuc, a Moldovan immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally in 2008, was arrested by ICE agents on February 13, 2026, during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview for a permanent resident card in Las Vegas. Butnarciuc, who is married to Marine veteran Patrick Baja and has two children, has no criminal record, works, and pays taxes. Although she faced a 2018 deportation order after her asylum claim was denied, her marriage to Baja made her eligible for a green card. Her attorney stated that Butnarciuc entered the U.S. legally and should be entitled to permanent resident status. She is being held at Henderson Detention Center, and her husband is seeking her release.

A 10-year-old U.S. citizen named Dylan recounted fleeing during an ICE operation that began near his school bus stop in Lindenwold, New Jersey on Thursday morning. Children waiting at the bus stop panicked and ran when they saw ICE enforcement vehicles, with Dylan running home in fear. The Lindenwold School District said the presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion among fourth- and fifth-graders.

A judge dismissed the deportation case of Narciso Barranco, an Orange County landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines, who was detained by Border Patrol agents in June 2025. Video showed agents pinning him to the ground and punching him during the detention in Santa Ana. The judge ruled Barranco is eligible for lawful status due to his three sons serving in the military, and his attorney is now working to secure permanent residency and a work permit.

Fadya Contreras de Rondon and Johnny Rondon Rodriguez, both real estate agents in Central Florida with valid driver's licenses, Social Security cards, work permits, state Realtor licenses, and pending asylum cases, were detained by federal immigration agents on January 9, 2026, while driving to work together. U.S. District Judge John Antoon ordered Rondon Rodriguez released from Orange County Jail about a week before ordering Contreras de Rondon's release on February 13, after finding the arrest warrants used to justify their detentions were invalid. During her nearly month-long detention, Contreras de Rondon was repeatedly transferred between the Orange County Jail, a South Florida facility, and the ICE office in Orlando whenever her 72-hour jail hold expired, and her husband said guards grew upset over simple requests such as medication. Their attorney, Phillip Arroyo, said the couple was shocked by their treatment despite holding legal documentation but remain hopeful about their future in the country.