Human Impact Project

Maria Cristina Tapia Cornejo, a 71-year-old undocumented immigrant, has been held at Eloy Detention Center for over 10 months following an ICE raid on Colt Grill restaurants in July 2025. Despite multiple requests for humanitarian release citing her age, hearing impairment, lack of criminal record, and deep family ties in Arizona, ICE has kept her detained. The restaurant owners who were arrested on charges of hiring undocumented workers were released and granted court-approved travel out of state while awaiting trial. An immigration judge ordered Tapia Cornejo's deportation in January 2026, and she is appealing while remaining in custody, citing safety concerns related to cartel violence in her hometown.

A statewide surge of immigration enforcement in West Virginia in January involved state and local cooperation with ICE through the 287(g) program, resulting in 1,831 arrests (1 in 10 of the state's noncitizen population). Over half were collateral arrests with minimal violent crime convictions; more than three-quarters had only immigration-related violations. A federal judge ordered two detainees released, citing constitutional concerns. As of February 2026, sheriffs in Berkeley, Cabell, Hampshire, Harrison, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Putnam, Summersville, Upshur and Wood counties, along with Summersville and Village of Clearview police, the West Virginia National Guard and State Police, are participating in ICE's Task Force Model, while the state's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation participates through the Warrant Service Officer model.

Luis Gilberto Loja Mayancela, 24, an Ecuadorian immigrant with Special Immigrant Juvenile status and valid work authorization, was detained by ICE on January 15, 2026, despite his protective status. A U.S. District judge ruled he is entitled to a bond hearing in immigration court, with seven days to schedule the hearing or he must be released. Mayancela, held at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, was separated from his wife and 3-month-old son at the time of his arrest.

Oudone Lothirath, a 57-year-old Laotian refugee who arrived in the U.S. in the early 1980s, was detained by ICE in January 2026 during an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. While held for 10 days at a detention facility in El Paso, Texas, he missed vital chemotherapy sessions for terminal Hodgkin's lymphoma and received no medical care for his diabetes and heart condition. After his release, he was too weakened to continue his remaining chemotherapy treatments, and his cancer subsequently spread to his bone marrow. His care assistant, Christina Vilay, said he would have had "many more months" to live had he completed his scheduled chemotherapy. Lothirath, a working member of the Minneapolis Lao community who attended a local Buddhist temple and held a current work authorization card issued in 2023, is now receiving hospice care.

Dmytro Kulyk, a Ukrainian national admitted under the Uniting for Ukraine program in late 2023, was detained by ICE on January 1, 2026, while his re-parole application remained pending—unlike his wife and daughter's approved applications. The 39-year-old was apprehended in a Walmart parking lot in Minnesota while working as a delivery driver and doing roofing work to support his family. His immigration attorney suggested the delayed re-parole decision may have been intentional to provide grounds for deportation. Kulyk remains detained and faces potential removal despite having no criminal record and following all required legal procedures.

Activists point to fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minneapolis and two killings in San Diego under CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott's watch. The incidents share similarities including victims' positions when attacked, officials' claims of aggression later questioned, and CBP's involvement in evidence handling. Activists note patterns they have identified in federal law enforcement investigations.

Jose Sanchez was detained by ICE in November 2025 and deported to Mexico despite having a pending citizenship case. He died in January 2026 while attempting to cross the Rio Grande to return to his family in San Antonio. His partner, Tiffany Barrera, is a U.S. citizen and mother of five.

Bobby Nuñez, a tow-truck driver, was acquitted by jury of charges that he stole government property after hooking an ICE vehicle. The acquittal came as federal prosecutors under the Trump administration faced a losing streak in cases against ICE protesters, with judges citing civil rights violations and credibility issues with law enforcement testimony.

Victor Rodriguez Ocampo Sr., 54, owner of La Playa Taco Shop in Mission Beach, was seized by ICE on October 31 and deported to Mexico after approximately two months at Otay Mesa Detention Center. Rodriguez, who operated the restaurant for about 30 years, was detained despite having minimal connection to Mexico. His son has established a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised over $18,500 to support the family and cover legal expenses.

A shop foreman and asylum seeker who entered the United States on November 2, 2022, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on December 31, 2025, at a routine immigration check-in appointment without a warrant or explanation. Despite having complied with all terms of his release for nearly three years, maintaining employment as a shop foreman, applying for asylum and permanent residency, and having no criminal history, he was held for nearly six months without a hearing. A federal district court granted his habeas petition on June 26, 2026, finding his detention violated Fifth Amendment due process protections and ordering his immediate release.

An ICE agent driving into the Crosspoint check-in facility in San Antonio pointed a gun at two community members from Comrade Coffee Collective who were filming and distributing aid outside the facility. One volunteer said hello to the agent from a distance, prompting him to reach for his gun and point it at her despite her backing away, then at another volunteer further away.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino stated to Fox News that his agents have arrested U.S. citizens on charges of assaulting federal officers. The article also details allegations of excessive force by Border Patrol and ICE agents, including a November incident in Chicago involving Bovino during 'Operation Midway Blitz.'

Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizen children ages 17 and 19, was handcuffed and detained by ICE on Christmas Eve while shopping at a T.J. Maxx in Phoenix's West Valley. She and her husband operate the El Taco Loko restaurant and a food truck in Laveen, and she is the sole provider for her children following her husband's deportation. At the time of her arrest, she was awaiting a delayed DACA renewal, had no new criminal charges, and was wearing an ankle monitor after being released on bond following about a month in immigration detention earlier in the year. Her attorney said she had been fully complying with her orders, and she had a court hearing scheduled for 2028. She is being held at the Florence Processing Center. Arizona lawmakers called for her release, with state Sen. Analise Ortiz saying, 'People like Flor and her husband are entrepreneurs who contribute to their community.'

Immigration officials detained two U.S. citizen siblings in a Mission Bay parking lot in late December. The siblings were held in the basement of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building for most of the day before being released to their father. The family believes the incident was a case of racial profiling and reports that officers used physical force during the arrest.

An Afghan national was released on immigration parole in April 2024. On December 30, 2025, he was re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without notice or explanation. He filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court on April 8, 2026, challenging the re-arrest as a violation of his due process rights and federal regulations governing revocation of release. He requested either immediate release under his prior parole terms or a bond hearing. On April 14, 2026, respondents filed a return stating they did not oppose the petition. The court granted the habeas corpus petition and ordered his release from immigration custody within one business day under the terms of his prior parole notice.

Vilma Palacios, 22, a recent graduate of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing who had accepted a job at Touro Infirmary, was arrested by ICE agents on June 26, 2025, while attempting to get a vehicle inspection sticker in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Palacios had fled Honduras at age 6, applied for asylum as a child, and had previously been granted a work permit. She has since been held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile for six months, with her case drawing renewed attention in late December 2025.

An immigration detainee who had previously been released on bond or conditional parole was re-detained by immigration authorities on December 29, 2026. He challenged his ongoing immigration detention through a habeas corpus petition, arguing that his re-detention without a pre-deprivation bond hearing violated due process. The court granted his petition and ordered his immediate release with the same conditions he had prior to his December 29 detention.

Seven people were arrested at an ICE Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) check-in office in San Jose on Monday and Tuesday of the week of December 24, 2025, according to the Rapid Response Network (RRN) in Santa Clara County. The arrests occurred inside the office during scheduled check-ins for ICE supervision programs. RRN stated the arrests were not random and encouraged people with upcoming ICE check-in appointments to contact their organization for volunteer accompaniment.

An immigration detainee was arrested on December 29, 2025 for misdemeanor driving under the influence and providing false information to a police officer. He was granted pre-plea diversion with the case set for dismissal in June 2026. Months after his arrest, he reported for his scheduled check-in with ICE, where ICE arrested and detained him. The court granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release.

A Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. in June 1998 with no criminal history was detained by ICE on December 28, 2025, outside her home without any pre-deprivation process or notice, despite not being subject to a final removal order. She has cancer requiring monthly medical monitoring and is the primary financial support for her family. On June 18, 2026, the federal court granted her petition for habeas corpus and ordered her immediate release, finding that her detention without pre-deprivation due process violated the Constitution, and enjoined respondents from re-detaining her without written notice and a pre-deprivation hearing.