Human Impact Project

A noncitizen who had resided in the United States for over four years was apprehended by ICE at his routine check-in appointment in January 2025 and held at Webb County Detention Center under mandatory detention provisions. An Immigration Judge ordered his removal to Ecuador and denied his asylum application. He challenged his detention as violating Fifth Amendment due process rights. The district court granted his petition for habeas corpus, finding that noncitizens with established U.S. presence are entitled to individualized assessment of flight risk and dangerousness before detention, and ordered his immediate release with safeguards against redetention.

Israel Uriarte, a man who lived in the U.S. for 33 years with deep roots, no criminal record, and family in the country, was arrested by immigration officers in January in his Cypress Park neighborhood. He has been detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and has requested bond three times from an immigration judge, but was denied each time. Immigration attorneys note that people in similar circumstances — with established ties to the U.S. — would have historically been released on bond.

An unnamed migrant who returned to a mountain town in Michoacán took a job managing a cattle herd for a local rancher. The rancher had not obtained required vetting and approval from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel before hiring the outsider. Upon discovering the unauthorized employment, sicarios arrived at the migrant's home and fired multiple rounds of bullets into the building. The worker fled out the back door as gunmen stormed in, losing all his possessions. He subsequently went into hiding in Michoacán's capital.

Adrián Ramírez, 45, was deported from Nashville to his hometown in Michoacán, Mexico after more than two decades in the United States. Upon return, he was interrogated and photographed by cartel members, then watched as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel took control of his town, killing the gas station owner and extorting residents. Fearing for his life, Ramírez left his pueblo a few months later and relocated to another town, also controlled by the cartel. He now works at a tortillería and has been warned that cartel members may question him about his origins. He remains separated from his three children in the U.S. and fears detention if he attempts to return.

Eduardo was detained by ICE in January while driving home from work with a coworker. He was deported to Honduras within a week, leaving his wife Jennifer to care for their five children alone, ranging in age from 18 months to 12 years old. The family now faces financial crisis as Jennifer struggles to provide food, housing, utilities, and basic necessities on her own.

Victor Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan restaurant worker, died by suicide in January 2025 while in ICE custody at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. Diaz was initially detained by ICE in Minnesota and transferred to the crowded El Paso facility, where he lost contact with relatives. After reporting harassment from fellow detainees, he was placed in isolation, where he subsequently died by suicide.

Jeferson Escalona, 19, a former Venezuelan police officer, was arrested by local Texas police in January 2025 for evading arrest and later detained by ICE. He was transferred through Guantanamo Bay to the Bluebonnet detention center, with DHS alleging gang ties based on hand gesture photos without evidence; Escalona denied the claims and sought voluntary return to Venezuela, which was denied. In late March 2025, he was among 17 Venezuelan men deported to El Salvador's CECOT prison, a move that occurred two days after a federal judge issued an order barring deportations of migrants to third countries without notice or a chance to contest removal. His attorney, with the ACLU, raised concerns about the government's allegations and said he was denied due process to challenge them before deportation.

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 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 six children, ages 11 to 22, have had to assume caretaking and financial responsibilities, with 22-year-old Andrea taking on the role of head of household. Older siblings have set aside plans for college and marriage to work and support the family, while younger siblings have taken on farm chores and have shown signs of withdrawal.