HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

We collect individual stories of people impacted by U.S. immigration enforcement from news reporting, court records, and community accounts into one searchable public database, updated daily and reviewed by our team. The Human Impact Project is run by the Human Security Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

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4436 incidents with known locations
⚐ Highlighted incident #13027 (not on this page in normal date order)Clear

Deaf teen with disabilities handcuffed at gunpoint outside LA school, mistaken for gang member

Oct 8, 2026Los Angeles, CA

Baldemar Gutierrez, a 15-year-old U.S. citizen with significant hearing loss and speech delays, was pulled from a car and handcuffed at gunpoint by masked federal agents outside Arleta High School in Los Angeles while his mother, Andreina Mejia, was nearby enrolling his sister. Agents showed a photo of a Salvadoran national suspected of gang ties and mistook Baldemar for him, releasing him only after he repeatedly stated his name and citizenship; the encounter lasted about seven minutes. His mother said an agent told him the mistake would make an 'exciting story to tell' his friends, and said her son has since felt harassed and unsafe. School officials said agents left bullets at the scene, prompting increased school police patrols. The family's attorneys filed a $1 million claim against DHS, CBP, Border Patrol and ICE alleging racial profiling, false arrest, false imprisonment, and assault and battery; DHS denied racial profiling, calling it mistaken identity. The case has since been cited as part of a broader pattern of more than 500 U.S. citizens detained by ICE, despite DHS statements that ICE does not restrain or zip-tie children.

ICE Detains Individual; No Court Hearing Dates Available

Jan 11, 2026Singapore

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Online Detainee Locator System, an individual named Yee has been detained as a public safety or flight risk. However, no court hearing dates are available for Yee on the portal, and no deportation information is listed on the U.S. Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Legal observer pepper-sprayed and detained 8 hours while recording ICE in Minneapolis

Jan 11, 2026Minneapolis, MN

Brandon Sigüenza, a volunteer legal observer, was arrested and detained for eight hours by ICE agents while documenting enforcement activity near the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis. He and fellow observer Patty O'Keefe had followed agents' vehicles after learning ICE had pepper-sprayed another observer nearby; agents then surrounded their car, sprayed pepper spray into its air intake, shattered the windows, and handcuffed Sigüenza without identifying themselves or giving instructions. He was released without charges. Sigüenza said immigration enforcement in the area had already affected his students, his father, and his neighbors, and his detention occurred amid broader coordinated community efforts to document and warn residents about ICE activity in Minnesota.

Native American U.S. citizen now faces charges after ICE detention

Jan 11, 2026Robbinsdale, MN

A Mexican and Ojibwe U.S. citizen from Crystal, Minnesota, with family from the Red Lake Nation, was detained by ICE agents outside a Hy-Vee in Robbinsdale on Jan. 8 after agents said he matched the description of an Ecuadoran national with a criminal history. The incident was filmed by his aunt, Shawntia Sosa-Clara, who called police and repeatedly stated they were citizens; bystanders can be heard reacting on the video. He was released after several hours in custody but now faces a federal charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer, which he denies; photos show bruising on his wrists and neck that his family attributes to the encounter. The Robbinsdale Police Department said it does not work with ICE or ask about immigration status but does not interfere with federal operations except in life-or-death situations.

US citizen girl, 5, deported to Honduras with mother after ICE detention

Jan 11, 2026Austin, TXHonduras

Génesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos, a 5-year-old U.S. citizen from Austin, Texas, who misses her cousins, classmates and kindergarten teachers, was deported to Honduras alongside her mother, Karen Guadalupe Gutiérrez Castellanos. The removal stemmed from an administrative deportation order issued against the mother in 2019, before Génesis was born. According to advocacy group Grassroots Leadership, Austin police responding to an early-morning disturbance call found no incident but identified the ICE warrant, leading to the arrest of both mother and daughter. They were held incommunicado for nearly a week at a San Antonio hotel without access to legal representation or a judge, with authorities allegedly pressuring them not to disclose their location, preventing attorneys from intervening before deportation. The mother briefly reached her brother by phone to say they were about to be removed, and later called from Honduras to confirm the deportation. She has said she plans to send her daughter back to the U.S. with another relative, since Génesis is a U.S. citizen.

ICE agents smash car window, detain man in Minnesota

January 11, 2026St. Paul, MNHonduras

Border Patrol agents smashed a car window and dragged a Honduran man from a vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 11, 2026. Video posted by Ford Fischer of News2Share shows agents surrounding the parked vehicle, breaking the window, pulling the man out, forcing him to the ground, and taking him into custody as a crowd gathered. DHS said the man had a final order of removal issued in 2020 and refused to obey orders. After multiple warnings, agents broke the window and arrested him. During the arrest, bystanders surrounded the agents, who fired pepper balls toward the crowd. A U.S. citizen who hit an officer was also arrested. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was present at the scene and was heard ordering bystanders to move back. A second individual was also detained during the incident.

Migrant dies in Rio Bravo, first death of 2026 in Coahuila

Jan 11, 2026Piedras Negras, CoahuilaMexico

A migrant man died while attempting to cross the Rio Bravo into the United States and was found floating in the river in Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Rescue teams and Mexican and U.S. authorities coordinated to recover the body. Authorities are investigating whether the victim is José Antonio Sánchez Ríos, 35, from Guanajuato, who disappeared while crossing the river earlier in the week.

Six-year-old found alone after father detained by ICE in New Jersey

Jan 11, 2026Morristown, New Jersey

Adonay Mancia Rodríguez was detained by ICE agents near his home in Morristown, New Jersey on January 11, 2026, during an enforcement sweep while picking up a dinner delivery. His six-year-old daughter Annabella was found wandering the streets alone following his detention. According to DHS, ICE took 11 individuals into custody during the operation who were undocumented and facing deportation.

ICE officers conduct citizenship checks on U.S. residents at gas station and charging station

Jan 10, 2026Minneapolis, MN

ICE officers in Minneapolis conducted multiple "show me your papers" encounters with residents in public spaces. In one incident last weekend, officers approached a man pumping gas and demanded to see documentation of U.S. citizenship. The man refused initially but eventually provided a driver's license; officers continued questioning whether he was naturalized and when. In another incident, officers questioned a man at a vehicle charging station about his citizenship. These encounters were recorded on video and shared on social media, prompting criticism from public figures. The Department of Homeland Security did not provide information on the citizenship status of the people approached or details about these specific incidents.

Anti-ICE protester permanently blinded by DHS agent in Santa Ana

Jan 10, 2026Santa Ana, CA

A 21-year-old protester named Kaden Rummler was struck in the face by a nonlethal round fired by a Department of Homeland Security agent during a protest outside a federal building in Santa Ana. The impact left shrapnel embedded in his eyes and face, resulting in permanent blindness in his left eye and a fractured skull. The incident occurred during demonstrations against the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent in Minnesota.

St. Cloud refugee mother arrested, detained in Texas during Operation PARRIS

Jan 10, 2026St. Cloud, MNSomalia

Khadra Muse Mohamed, a 25-year-old Somali refugee and single mother, was pulled over by undercover ICE agents on January 10, 2026, one day after Operation PARRIS began. She had legally arrived in the U.S. in April 2024, passed security screenings, and was living in St. Cloud with her 7-year-old son and extended family including her disabled stepfather. After her arrest, she was transferred to a detention facility in Texas before her family could secure legal representation, separating her from her young son and elderly relatives who depend on her care. She was released on January 19 after nine days in detention.

Border Patrol detains 10-year-old girl and father over missed check-ins

Jan 10, 2026Spokane, WAGuatemala

Border Patrol detained Guatemalan father Arnoldo Tiul Caal and his 10-year-old daughter Karla on January 10 in Spokane, alleging he missed multiple required immigration check-ins while seeking asylum. The pair were transported to a detention facility in Texas but were released Friday by a federal judge. The father had been living in Spokane since 2019 with his daughter, who was a fourth-grader at Logan Elementary School.

Cambodian refugee dies in ICE custody at Philadelphia detention center

Jan 10, 2026Philadelphia, PACambodia

Parady La, a 46-year-old Cambodian refugee and longtime Philadelphia-area resident, died in January 2026 after being detained by ICE. La was arrested by ICE on January 6 outside his home and held at the Federal Detention Center (FDC Philadelphia), where he was treated for severe drug withdrawal. On January 7, officers found him unresponsive in his cell, administered CPR and Narcan, and transported him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with anoxic brain injury, shock, and multiple organ failures. He died on January 9. His family and organizations including the ACLU of Pennsylvania and CAIR-Philadelphia demanded accountability and transparency, with the ACLU filing a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to his detention, medical treatment, and death.

Mother detained by ICE days before teen son's cancer death, later self-deports

Jan 10, 2026Salisbury, MDMexico

Arlit Martinez-Carrada, a Mexican national living in the Salisbury, Maryland area, was detained by ICE on January 3 while heading to work. Her 15-year-old son, Kevin Mendoza Martinez, died of cancer just two days later on January 5, while she remained in ICE custody at the Baltimore federal building. An immigration judge initially denied her release, calling her a flight risk, but a federal judge later approved her release on $12,000 bond with an ankle monitor, allowing her to attend her son's funeral. Martinez-Carrada has since decided to self-deport, with her attorneys working on the voluntary departure process.

Mother separated from children at court

Instagram📦Social media only
Jan 10, 2026

Everyone had their case dismissed that afternoon which meant ICE could now take them at anytime. With only one way out of the building and ICE sitting in cars throughout the parking lot I knew what was going to happen. The mother’s friend-who had been sitting in the car next to mine-stepped out and met them by the front entrance, just a few feet from where I stood with the Priests. For a second, I couldn’t tell if the mother realized what was about to happen. But it only took that second. Suddenly, the ICE agents-every one of them a masked man-began walking toward us. Toward her. And that’s when it started. The little girl saw them first. “Mommy! Mommy!” she screamed, and burst into tears. Then her brother realized what was happening and started crying too. ICE doesn’t like to take children when the Priests are present and watching. ICE -asked whoever is with the kids to follow them to a different location, so they can take the children too. Because the kids are also in removal proceedings. Please donate so The Sidewalk School can continue to document and record these “disappearances” To donate: SidewalkSchool.org ***Video recorded by The Sidewalk School

Plains Cree woman stopped and questioned by ICE agents without cause

Jan 10, 2026Minneapolis, MN

Rachel Dionne-Thunder, who is Plains Cree and co-founder of Indigenous Protectors Movement, was stopped and questioned by ICE agents near Powwow Grounds coffee shop on January 10, 2026 without being given a reason for the stop. She locked her vehicle doors and refused to comply with agents' orders to show ID or exit the vehicle, citing Know Your Rights training. Community members came to her aid and the agents left.

Driver detained after ICE accessed Maryland license database without warrant

Jan 10, 2026Howard County, MDEl Salvador

ICE agents in Maryland used the state's driver's license database to conduct license plate checks in January 2026 without a traffic violation or warrant, detaining Santos Alvarenga-Rodriguez, 47, a Salvadoran citizen, based on license restrictions. The operation, part of "Operation Take Back America," ran checks on approximately 10 vehicles, with nine resulting in no enforcement action. Nearly a quarter-million Maryland drivers carry similar license restrictions, which can indicate various factors unrelated to immigration status. Alvarenga-Rodriguez resisted during the encounter and was charged with assaulting and resisting officers.

Colombian asylum seeker arrested at Iowa grocery store, detained months, then released after community pressure

Jan 10, 2026Iowa City, IAColombia

Jorge Elieser Gonzalez Ochoa, a 27-year-old Colombian national seeking asylum, was arrested by plainclothes ICE agents at Bread Garden Market in Iowa City on September 25, 2025, while working and wearing a court-ordered GPS monitor. Agents charged him with document fraud and misuse of immigration documents. A federal judge ruled the DHS actions "indefensible" and found Gonzalez Ochoa was illegally detained, noting agents attempted to circumvent a court order and violated procedural requirements. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served plus one day. After several months in federal immigration detention, Gonzalez Ochoa was released following sustained community organizing and protests by groups including the Iowa City Catholic Worker and Escucha Mi Voz Iowa.

Brooklyn Father Detained by ICE While Heading to Birthday Party

Jan 10, 2026Brooklyn, NY

Jose Manuel De Paz Cruz, a 31-year-old father with no criminal record, was arrested by ICE agents in Sunset Park on January 10, 2026, while walking home from work to attend his step-son's birthday party. After being detained in Brooklyn, Cruz was transferred to multiple locations including Manhattan, New Jersey, Arizona, and California.

Eritrean refugee mother detained under Operation PARRIS, released after green card approval

Jan 9, 2026MinnesotaEritrea

An Eritrean single mother of three with a pending green card application was detained during Operation PARRIS operations beginning January 9, 2026. During a five-hour interview with USCIS officers, she was questioned about her application materials and reasons for fleeing her country. Her attorney reported that the USCIS officer conducting the interview stated he had no knowledge of why she was detained or authority regarding her detention. She was released a few days after arrest and returned to Minnesota, and her green card application was approved while she was in detention.

Four Oglala Sioux tribal citizens detained under bridge near Little Earth housing

Jan 9, 2026Minneapolis, MN

Four Native American men, all citizens of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, were detained by ICE agents under a bridge near Little Earth, a Native American housing complex on Minneapolis's southside. According to tribal President Frank Star Comes Out, the men were homeless and unable to provide sufficient documentation of their citizenship and tribal membership during the encounter. At least one of the men was released after a 12-hour hold, but the community was unaware of his whereabouts. Tribal attorneys have been working to locate the men and provide documentation of their citizenship and tribal status.