Human Impact Project

Peterson Nozil, a 37-year-old Haitian national who has lived in Springfield since August 2022, was stopped and arrested while driving home with his family in the car. He had been inspected at the border, granted humanitarian parole, later received temporary protected status, held a valid work permit, and had applied for asylum. His attorney, Maria Otero, filed a habeas corpus petition on Oct. 1 in the Southern District of Ohio seeking a bond hearing and his release from the Butler County Jail, joining several other Haitian nationals in southwest Ohio challenging ICE's mandatory detention policy. The petition was supported by exhibits including his marriage license, his daughter's birth certificate, an employer letter, a church certificate, and letters of support. Judge Matthew W. McFarland ordered the government to respond to the petition by Oct. 5.

Delaney Hall, a for-profit ICE detention center in Newark, faced scrutiny after detainees began a hunger strike and reported spoiled food, lack of medical care, and inadequate gynecological services, including an 18-year-old high school student and a woman who said she miscarried without assistance. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was handcuffed and arrested on trespassing charges while visiting the facility with congressional representatives, repeating 'I'm not resisting' as agents restrained him; he was held for five hours before charges were dropped. Rep. LaMonica McIver, who stood between Baraka and ICE agents during the visit, was later charged with three felony counts of assaulting federal agents after the government claimed she had 'slammed' an agent; she is still fighting the case. Days later, on Memorial Day, Senator Andy Kim visited to mediate between protesters and detainees, standing with arms raised between armed ICE agents and the crowd before agents fired tear gas and pepper balls at him and demonstrators, leaving him needing aid for burning eyes and throat. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was denied entry but heard from detainees' family members about conditions inside.

Phone Chomsavanh, a Laotian citizen who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and moved to the U.S. with his family at age 7, was released from Eswatini's maximum-security Matsapha Correctional Complex on Sunday after being held there for more than 14 months. He was deported to Eswatini in July 2025 under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program after already completing his U.S. prison sentence, one of five immigrants sent there at the time. His lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, said he was given no notice, hearing, or chance to object before being flown to a country he had no ties to, saying, 'He had already served his time. Instead they put him on a plane without telling him where it was headed and left him in a prison in a country he had never heard of, where nobody ever accused him of anything.' Following his release, he traveled through Johannesburg en route to Laos. The third-country deportation program has sent about 500 immigrants to African nations that are not their countries of origin, with Eswatini receiving roughly 30 people under an agreement with the U.S. in exchange for $5.1 million in payments.

A viral cellphone video shows a woman being surrounded by plainclothes men and placed into an unmarked white van outside Los Angeles International Airport before dawn. In the footage, she pleads for someone to call 911 and insists she wasn't doing anything wrong, while a bystander asks the men to confirm their identity; one responds that he is an agent citing an 'immigration violation.' Social media users noted the men wore no visible badges or uniforms and questioned the legitimacy of the detention. She can be heard shouting a name from inside the vehicle, and social media users have variously identified her as Jing Zhao or Angel Zhao, though her identity and the men's affiliation with ICE remain unconfirmed. Airport officials said federal agencies conduct their own independent investigations and that airport operations continued as normal.

A man walking to a pharmacy in Evanston, Illinois, to fill a prescription was tackled and detained by federal agents believed to be ICE after being mistaken for a fugitive near Dodge Avenue and Howard Street. Witnesses, including Miguel Angel Olivares, recorded video showing agents using force, pinning him down and appearing to strike him as he repeatedly stated he was a U.S. citizen. He suffered injuries to his head, neck and teeth, bled at the scene, and was taken by Evanston Fire Department ambulance to St. Francis hospital for treatment. A paramedic and police officer at the scene expressed shock that agents drove away while he lay in the street. DHS said the man was uncooperative and declined assistance, while an ICE supervisor told Evanston police agents left because protesters began gathering. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss confirmed the detention and release, while local police, eyewitnesses, and the group Sanctuary Evanston disputed DHS's account, calling it a violent assault. Evanston police, Illinois authorities, and the FBI are investigating, with body camera footage and 911 audio being reviewed.

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally through CBP One in 2024 and held a valid work permit, was shot in the back by an ICE agent on September 20, 2026, during a traffic stop and chase while delivering for DoorDash in North Austin. Federal prosecutors allege he struck an officer with his car's side mirror and fled, while he says an unmarked ICE vehicle rammed and spun his car before he was shot through the rear window, unaware it belonged to ICE. He suffered a fractured clavicle and a bullet lodged near his spine, causing partial paralysis, and was released from the hospital into ICE custody with the bullet still inside him before it was later surgically removed. He was transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, where his attorney said he received no pain medication and slept on the floor. Testimony revealed one agent was not wearing a body camera and another turned his off during the encounter. He appeared in federal court in a wheelchair facing DOJ charges of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer, carrying up to 20 years in prison, and a judge denied bond. A separately issued deportation order, sent to a former address, prompted his attorneys to sue to block removal. The shooting, partly captured on bystander video, prompted protests of over 150 people and calls from Rep. Greg Casar, Mayor Kirk Watson, and Rep. Joaquin Castro for an independent investigation and release of body-camera footage.

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen from San Antonio, was fatally shot three times by Homeland Security Investigations Agent Jack Stevens on South Padre Island while traveling with his best friend, Joshua Orta, to celebrate his birthday. Federal officials initially claimed Martinez struck an agent with his car after refusing orders, but bodycam footage obtained through a FOIA lawsuit showed his vehicle stationary or barely moving, with brake lights on, when he was shot; he was then pulled from the car, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed before receiving medical care. Orta, the only civilian witness, told investigators Martinez was 'hesitant' and 'scared'; he later died in a car crash less than a year after the shooting. Martinez's mother, Rachel Reyes, said Texas Rangers investigators told her the footage contradicted the agents' account. The government did not disclose the shooting for nearly a year, until the nonprofit American Oversight obtained the incident report. A Texas grand jury declined to indict Stevens, and the family has filed a tort claim against the federal government.

Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a 24-year-old Venezuelan man living in north Minneapolis, was shot in the leg through his front door by ICE agent Christian Castro during a January 2026 raid tied to Operation Metro Surge. His partner, Indriany Mendoza Camacho, said agents threw tear gas into the home, which had children present, before entering to detain him; the bullet also traveled into a child's room. Federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and his cousin/roommate Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna with assaulting officers with a shovel and broom, but surveillance video contradicted the officers' sworn testimony, and the charges were dismissed after the Justice Department acknowledged agents had lied under oath. ICE's Acting Director Todd Lyons said two officers may have lied and placed them on leave. Hennepin County prosecutors later charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and falsely reporting a crime; he was arrested in Texas by DHS agents and Texas Rangers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite Castro, prompting a lawsuit from Minnesota's attorney general, and the Justice Department subsequently charged Castro only with making false statements. An Assistant U.S. Attorney who objected to that decision was fired and is now under investigation for allegedly leaking case information.

Christian Omar González, a 27-year-old Cuban man living in Hialeah, Florida, has been held at an ICE facility in Miramar for nearly two months after being arrested on August 5 while riding as a passenger to his job in West Palm Beach. His mother and grandmother have publicly pleaded for his release, with his mother saying 'mi niño no es ningún delincuente,' insisting he has no criminal record. ICE said he was arrested during a joint operation with the Florida Highway Patrol following alleged traffic violations, though the vehicle's driver, U.S. citizen Luis Villalba, disputes that account and says he was never ticketed. González left Cuba in 2022 to avoid mandatory military conscription after the July 11 protests, and his asylum case is pending; a bail request was denied because he was classified as an 'arriving alien,' a category that bars the immigration judge from granting bond. His family says they have taken on debt trying to secure his release, and his attorneys note his case coincides with a pending U.S. Supreme Court review of whether ICE can detain migrants in this category without bond. The Miramar facility where he is held has reportedly held as many as 342 people despite an official capacity of 56.

Johnny Sebastián Lucas Barre, a 38-year-old Ecuadorian man held at the Folkston ICE Processing Center in Georgia, says agents handcuffed and beat him after he refused to sign a deportation order and provide fingerprints without a lawyer present. He said three agents threw him against a wall, struck him, and placed a foot near his head until he lost consciousness, later waking up in a wheelchair receiving medical attention and showing visible bruises on his wrists and body. His partner, Leidy Montalvo, said he had been working in the facility kitchen for a dollar a day when agents repeatedly pressured him to sign his deportation paperwork, and she has shared photos of his injuries publicly. Lucas Barre entered the U.S. through Texas in 2024 and was detained again in December after reporting a change of address at an immigration appointment in Orlando, Florida; he has a pending asylum/immigration appeal but no longer has a lawyer because he could not afford to continue paying for one. Immigration attorneys said fingerprints or a signature obtained while someone is unconscious would not be legally valid. Lucas Barre has since filed a federal habeas corpus petition against the facility's warden, which remains pending after the warden moved to dismiss it and his attorney filed a response opposing dismissal.

A North African man, identified only as A.S. out of fear of being detained again, said he was pressured to self-deport while held at the Plymouth, Massachusetts ICE detention facility last winter. He said officials repeatedly suggested he could instead be sent to Uganda, a country with a third-country removal agreement with the U.S. that he had never visited and whose language he did not speak. He was eventually released from detention to his family in southeastern Massachusetts.

A woman was detained by ICE agents in Austin, Texas, during what was described as a traffic stop near a school bus stop, leaving her 9-year-old son alone and crying. Video of the arrest circulated widely on social media after being shared by Leonardo Pelaez, with many describing it as heartbreaking. Austin Mayor Pro Tem Chito Vela said the footage showed ICE arresting the boy's mother and called the incident "evil" and "wrong." ICE stated it released the woman about 10 minutes after learning she was the sole caregiver for minor children who may have been left unsupervised, though the agency said it had not confirmed the crying child was related to her. Vela's office later confirmed the child was safe and with family.

A 26-year-old refugee known only as Adam, who fled forced military conscription, was granted protection from removal by a US immigration judge but was secretly deported to Equatorial Guinea in November 2025 under a third-country removal deal. He has been confined alone in a hotel room under armed guard for nearly a year, and was recently handcuffed and beaten by security officers who warned him not to speak out.

A U.S. citizen was injured when an ICE agent punched him during a work van stop in Naples Manor, Florida, after community members arrived to document and protest the stop. Graphic images shared with the Naples Daily News and The News-Press show an ICE agent pointing a gun toward bystanders during the encounter. June Sanson, a legal observer with the Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment, said the agent involved had previously pointed his weapon at her during an unrelated encounter in Immokalee. The advocacy group has planned a protest in Naples on Oct. 2 in response to the incident. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reginaldo Quej, Erwin Orlando Xoy Acaham, and Catherine Migdalia Rax Sis, all from Guatemala and employed at Chile & Chili's Taqueria in northwest Tallahassee, were detained on September 25, 2026 after ICE and Florida Highway Patrol attempted to stop a vehicle near West Tennessee Street suspected of carrying someone without legal status. The vehicle pulled onto the restaurant's property, and the occupants fled on foot before being caught and handcuffed. ICE said the taqueria was not the target of the operation. Owner Shannon Tenorio described the three as 'good people trying to make a living' and said they were in the process of finalizing their immigration paperwork; remaining staff quit days later out of fear, prompting the location to close. An immigration attorney said none of the three had a serious or prior criminal history, though Quej has a final removal order, Xoy Acaham has requested voluntary departure, and Rax Sis remains in ongoing proceedings; all three stayed in ICE custody. Community members launched a GoFundMe that raised nearly $13,000 for the workers' families, and the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance organized a protest rally at the restaurant.

Ho-Yin Mo, a field representative for California Assemblymember Catherine Stefani who assists Chinese American constituents with healthcare, childcare, and food support, was detained by ICE on September 17, 2026, at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas while traveling to visit the Muhammad Ali Museum. Mo, originally from Hong Kong, lawfully entered the U.S. in January 2020; DHS said he overstayed after failing to depart in May 2020, though attorneys argued he was likely protected from deportation under Deferred Enforced Departure for Hong Kong residents. Stefani described Mo as 'a selfless public servant and a valued, legal employee of the California state Legislature,' and nearly every San Francisco City Hall politician and many state legislators called for his release. Mo, a former KTSF TV anchor and reporter who also worked on Mayor London Breed's 2024 re-election campaign, was held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump before being released on bond after 15 days in custody. Stefani traveled to Las Vegas to greet him upon release, and Mo thanked her, his lawyer, and supporters, saying he was eager to return to work.

A Guatemalan man working a landscaping job for Tommy Builders near Everett Community College was pulled from a work truck by six to eight masked ICE agents in tactical vests on a Monday morning in north Everett. Homeowner Jennifer Gordon recorded video showing the man shouting for help in English and Spanish, saying 'They don't have a warrant' and 'I can't breathe' as agents leaned over him; a second man working with him fled the scene. Gordon said the agents wore no badges or identification, used unmarked vehicles, refused to show a warrant when asked, and later photographed her house and address, which she said felt intimidating. ICE declined to confirm his identity, but DHS later said he had a criminal history and had been issued a final removal order in 2003 that was reinstated in 2011 and 2016 after alleged unauthorized reentry, and said officers used lawful, minimum-necessary force after he refused commands. A neighbor said an agent claimed the man was wanted over a murder allegation in his home country, which ICE did not confirm.

Gerardo Sanchez Lopez (also reported as Chavez Lopez), a longtime Clatsop County resident who came to the United States as a teenager and owns and operates multiple businesses in the area, was detained by ICE officers on June 7 while agents were searching for another man, Marco Antonio Mendoza-Cesar, who was also detained that day. ICE officers moved Sanchez Lopez between vehicles at the Port of Astoria's Pier 1 before transporting him to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. The use of port property by ICE prompted complaints to the Oregon Department of Justice over a potential violation of the state's sanctuary laws, though the Port of Astoria said staff faced a difficult situation and did the right thing by allowing agents access. Sanchez Lopez has since been released and returned home to Clatsop County, though a person close to him said he will need to check in with immigration again in several months.

César Cepeda Gomez (also referred to as Cesar Augusto Cepeda Gomez), a Venezuelan asylum seeker who delivered for Walmart in Bloomington, was detained by ICE agents in a Walmart parking lot alongside a coworker on September 1, 2026. Cepeda Gomez entered the U.S. legally through a CBP One appointment, held valid work authorization, and had an asylum hearing scheduled for October; he lives in Bloomington with his partner and her child. He was transported to the GEO Group-run North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, where he remained held for weeks. His attorney said he has been working, paying taxes, and has no criminal history. A federal court ruled ICE could not continue holding him without a chance to seek release, after which an immigration judge granted him a $10,000 bond, with Cepeda Gomez awaiting payment as of early October.

On June 7, 2026, ICE agents conducted an operation at the Port of Astoria's Pier 1, detaining two men. As vehicles left the scene, Astoria resident Stefanie Collar, who had been observing the agents, approached one vehicle at a nearby red light, pressing her body against it because she believed an officer was preparing to pepper-spray her. An officer rolled down his window and sprayed her as the vehicle drove past, and two additional vehicles following also sprayed her. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said officers had been 'swarmed by a group of 20 rioters,' but video footage reviewed by KMUN and witness accounts showed only a few people on a nearby sidewalk, contradicting that account. An ICE officer separately called local police to report that agents used pepper spray after being swarmed.