Human Impact Project

ICE agents detained three men outside a courthouse in Southern California, raising concerns among local immigration advocates about enforcement activities near judicial proceedings. The detentions highlight ongoing worries about ICE operations in sensitive locations such as courthouses, where immigrants may be seeking legal assistance or appearing for hearings.

Claudia Rodriguez Caglianone, a 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant and former collegiate soccer captain, was detained by ICE at Fort Lauderdale Airport on July 31, 2026, while attempting to board a domestic flight. Rodriguez arrived in the U.S. in 2017 with a tourist visa, applied for asylum less than six months later, and was granted Temporary Protected Status in 2023—protection that ended last October. She graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami with bachelor's and master's degrees and served as captain of the university's soccer team. According to her family, Rodriguez was held in the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office in Miramar for eight days without changing clothes, showering, or proper sleeping accommodations, losing 15 pounds during detention. She was later transferred to the Broward Transitional Center. Her former coach praised her leadership and character. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz visited the facility and called for her release, stating that ICE agents were "invading airports to catch law-abiding residents like Claudia."

Emely Charloth Suaza Chambo, a 16-year-old student at Churchill High School in San Antonio, was detained by ICE while on her way to church. ICE agents told her father, Fernando Suaza Ortiz, who was employed at the Hilton Garden Inn, to pick her up or she would be sent out of state. When he arrived at the location to collect his daughter, he was also taken into ICE custody. Both have pending asylum cases and are being held at the Dilley detention facility in Texas. Congressman Joaquin Castro shared their story on social media.

Victor Samuel Lopez Terron, a native and citizen of Guatemala who has resided in the United States for over a decade, was arrested on July 30, 2026, and detained at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. He has no criminal history and is gainfully employed. On August 3, 2026, he filed a habeas corpus petition in the Western District of Pennsylvania along with an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, challenging his continued detention without a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226 and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. On August 11, 2026, Chief Judge Cathy Bissoon denied the TRO motion, finding he had not shown immediate and irreparable injury, that transfer out of the district would not defeat the court's habeas jurisdiction, and that there was no indication of a final removal order or scheduled immigration court proceedings. The court construed the petition as seeking prompt review of the lawfulness of his detention and, at minimum, an individualized bond hearing, and ordered an expedited case management schedule.

Yasmany Moreno de Armas, a 31-year-old Cuban immigrant who had been living and working in Florida, was deported by the Trump administration to the Central African Republic, a country he said he had never heard of before arriving there in late July. He said he only learned he was being sent to Africa five hours after his flight had already taken off. Moreno de Armas was arrested by immigration officials in May 2025 and spent roughly a year in ICE custody before his deportation; he had previously been imprisoned in Cuba for attempting to flee the island and fears for his safety if returned there. He is now stranded in a building in Bangui without documents, alongside deportees from countries including Ecuador, Honduras, Serbia, Russia and Vietnam, and CBS News found no criminal record for him beyond traffic and immigration violations.

Debora Kapisha, a MaineHealth nurse originally from Zambia, was taken into ICE custody at Portland International Jetport on July 30 as two ICE officers conducting targeted surveillance near the security checkpoint identified her with assistance from TSA personnel. Kapisha had overstayed a visa but has a pending asylum claim and was pursuing immigration relief when she was arrested, according to her attorney Kerry Doyle. She was transported to Massachusetts and later released from ICE custody, though federal officials continued pursuing her removal case. Her arrest generated protests from nurses and immigration activists, and was among at least five ICE arrests reported at the Portland Jetport in recent weeks.

An elderly woman was pepper-sprayed by a masked Department of Homeland Security agent on July 30 as she filmed on her cellphone in Inwood. The incident occurred as part of increased ICE enforcement activity across New York City.

Gevush Gabrielyan is a citizen of Armenia who was admitted to the United States in February 2013 and has lived in the U.S. for over 13 years. He was placed into removal proceedings in 2023 and found removable by an immigration judge in September 2023. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed this determination in January 2024. In April 2024, an immigration judge released Gabrielyan from custody on a $20,000 bond with an order of supervision, which he complied with for over two years. On July 30, 2026, Gabrielyan was unexpectedly detained by ICE during a routine check-in. He is married to a United States citizen, and his wife is due to give birth to their first child on August 17, 2026. On August 4, 2026, a federal judge granted Gabrielyan's motion for a preliminary injunction, ordering his immediate release based on a violation of his due process rights, as he was re-detained without a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decision-maker.

Jesus Verde Hernandez, a Worden man who has lived in Montana for 10 years with his partner of 14 years and three young children, was arrested on July 30 by Customs and Border Patrol without a warrant or probable cause while agents searched for another man they said resembled him. He was transported between Lewistown, Jordan, Malta, Havre, and Great Falls over 30 hours and held in the Cascade County Detention Center. Federal authorities attempted to coerce him into self-deporting himself. Chief District Judge Brian Morris ordered his release, finding the detention violated his constitutional rights and that the government had no statutory authority to detain him. The judge rejected the government's argument that Hernandez must exhaust administrative remedies, saying the process was "deficient from the outset." His attorneys at Upper Seven Law are seeking class certification, identifying 17 people similarly unlawfully detained in the same facility.

Eight noncitizens were arrested during a U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ICE operation at a solar farm on Riches Corners Road in Albion, New York on July 30, 2026. Seven of the men are from Venezuela and one is from Jamaica. All were working on the solar farm project at the time of the operation, which was conducted after ICE received a tip through its tipline. The arrested individuals were processed at Rochester and Buffalo CBP stations before being transferred to ICE for deportation proceedings.

Mario Alfonso Rivera Santiago, detained at Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, filed a pro se Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 against the Department of Homeland Security and the Warden of Rio Grande Detention Center. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered respondents to submit their response by August 7, 2026, with Rivera Santiago able to reply by August 21, 2026. The court also ordered respondents to notify it at least five days before any anticipated transfer or removal of Rivera Santiago outside the Southern District of Texas.

Guinel Laurent, a noncitizen who has resided in the United States since 2024, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. The Government argued Laurent was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2), claiming all noncitizens not admitted or paroled are "applicants for admission" seeking entry. The District Court granted Laurent's habeas petition, finding the detention unlawful because § 1225(b)(2) applies only to those at the border seeking admission, not interior arrests. The court ordered Laurent's immediate release and a bond hearing before an immigration judge under § 1226(a).

Xiaohong Zheng filed a habeas corpus petition while detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. The court ordered respondents to provide information about when Zheng entered the United States, whether Zheng was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of Zheng's immigration and removal proceedings. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days of electronic service.

Somphane Sipaseuth, a Laotian refugee admitted to the U.S. in 1983 and lawful permanent resident since 1986, was detained by ICE on July 30, 2026, during a routine check-in without prior notice or opportunity to be heard. ICE officers informed him they had obtained travel documents for his deportation to Laos and cancelled his 26-year order of supervision, placing him into custody despite his attorney's notice of intent to file a motion to reopen immigration proceedings. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring his immediate release and prohibiting his re-detention without notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral decisionmaker.

Fadel Cherif, 56, a Philadelphia resident with 20 years of legal status in the United States under Withholding of Removal protection, was arrested by ICE and detained at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in central Pennsylvania. An immigration judge granted Cherif's petition for asylum on December 18, 2025, though the Department of Homeland Security has appealed that decision. On January 29, 2026, a federal judge granted Cherif's habeas corpus petition, ordering that he receive an individualized bond hearing before an immigration judge by February 9, 2026, or be released from custody. Cherif was represented by attorney Rafael Urena in his legal challenge to his detention. His eldest son Ahmad, 22, expressed concern about the impact on his younger brothers, ages 13 and 15, saying his father's presence is important to them.

A man whose daughter was killed has been detained by ICE while fighting to remain in the United States. He has been actively involved in investigating his daughter's death and pursuing justice in her case. Despite progress in his legal efforts to stay in the country, he remains in ICE custody as his case continues.

A woman was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Kenner on a Wednesday morning with at least two of her three young children (ages 14, 10, and 2) in the vehicle. According to ICE, the woman had reentered the country illegally and faced a final removal order. Her employer and family members said the woman has minimal family support in the U.S. and that a close friend is now caring for all three children, who are scared and in need of basic necessities. The youngest child was born in the United States. The case illustrates the challenges families face when a parent is detained by immigration authorities.

ICE conducted a raid at an Abbeville manufacturing facility in Louisiana. A warehouse manager described the operation as chaotic, though specific details about the number of people detained, their identities, or the circumstances of their apprehension are not provided in the available article text.

Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan lawful permanent resident, was arrested in Texas and is the subject of the first-ever case brought in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized federal court created in 1996 but never used until now. The Trump administration is seeking to deport her, alleging she helped her son and son-in-law plan a mass casualty attack on behalf of ISIS during the 2024 election. Public defenders challenged the proceedings on due process grounds, though the judge allowed the case to proceed.

A family was detained by ICE less than two days after a federal court ordered their release, violating the court's directive. The family had been in immigration proceedings when the court issued an order for their freedom, but ICE apprehended them again shortly after, defying the judicial decision.

ICE agents conducting enforcement operations across New York City's five boroughs on July 30-31, 2026 were documented on video pepper-spraying a woman in Inwood, Manhattan who was filming them on her cellphone. The woman appeared to be documenting the agents' presence without provocation, according to witnesses. The same day, ICE agents were also spotted questioning a family in Bushwick, Brooklyn, checking passports including those of a young child, though the family was not detained. The reported surge in ICE activity marks an unusual increase in enforcement operations across neighborhoods including Inwood, East Elmhurst, College Point, and areas on Long Island, with agents conducting more vehicle stops than previously documented.

An 18-year-old was detained by masked individuals alleged to be federal agents in Glendale, California, and forced into an unmarked vehicle. Video of the incident shows the teenager struggling with the agents, calling out in Spanish for help and his mother, and repeatedly stating he did nothing wrong. According to social media posts, this was the second similar incident reported on the same block in one week. Bystanders questioned whether the masked men were actual federal agents, with some comparing their appearance to bounty hunters.

Don Graham, 54, a Canadian resident of the United States for over 22 years, was forcibly removed from his work van by federal agents on a Tacoma freeway. According to his daughter Madyson Graham, six black SUVs forced his vehicle off the road, and agents aggressively removed him, shackled him, and transported him to the Tacoma ICE Detention Center. Graham's family—his wife, who is a stay-at-home mother homeschooling their eight-year-old daughter, and his three adult children who are U.S. citizens—are now facing financial hardship as he was their primary income provider. The family is seeking legal representation and hopes to either have him released or, if deported, be able to reunite in Canada.

ICE conducted a targeted operation at a construction site off Franklin Road in Nampa on July 30, 2026, arresting and detaining six undocumented immigrants. DHS stated the individuals will remain in ICE custody pending removal or removal proceedings and will receive full due process.

Mabel, an Oakland resident from Ecuador, was detained by ICE agents at Phoenix airport while waiting for a connecting flight. She had a pending asylum claim and held a valid work permit issued by U.S. immigration authorities. According to her husband Abraham Sanchez, an ICE officer approached the couple with a photo of Mabel on his phone, asked her to confirm her name, and took her away. She spent her first night detained near the airport before being transported to Eloy Detention Center. Her case is part of a broader ICE airport crackdown targeting individuals with expired visas and pending immigration applications.

ICE agents arrested two men in Freeport on East Seaman Avenue early Thursday morning following what witnesses described as a vehicle pursuit. Video and photos show agents forcing a man to the ground and removing two men from a white van. Witnesses reported seeing agents searching the men, placing their belongings in white bags, and handcuffing them. Community advocates report the arrests are part of increased immigration enforcement activity across Long Island, with ICE agents also spotted in Hauppauge and Roosevelt.

A Guatemalan man was arrested by ICE during what his family describes as a violent encounter that left him with a broken nose, missing and chipped teeth, and cuts and bruises on his head and hands. He was Tasered during the arrest and subsequently hospitalized. After being taken into ICE detention, his family reports he has not received proper medical care and struggles to breathe.

Two ICE agents pepper sprayed two community members without provocation near Seaman and Isham Avenue in Upper Manhattan. According to a video posted on social media and stopice.net, the agents approached one community member and sprayed her and another person in the face before walking away. The agents were not under threat at the time of the incident.

Mariana, a Mexican national, entered an immigration office in Fresno believing she had an appointment to advance her legalization process, but ICE agents arrested her there. She was transferred to California City Detention Center, where she spent a month before being released. She reported extremely cold cell temperatures, inadequate medical care for gastrointestinal problems, poor food quality, and detainees having to help each other with emergencies because medical staff was unavailable. A pregnant detainee she witnessed was only given water for a nosebleed and panic attack. Mariana says the experience left her with physical and psychological scars and describes the facility as feeling like a jail.

Maria Perez, a Guatemalan woman seeking asylum from domestic violence, was arrested by ICE in Nashville on May 19 without a warrant while preparing to take her two children to a medical appointment. She is the nursing mother of a 10-month-old infant and a 2-year-old son with Down syndrome. Since her arrest, Perez has been held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, nearly 700 miles away from her children, who are now in the care of a neighbor. Her sudden separation from her nursing infant has caused her physical harm, compounded by her diabetes. Perez has no criminal history and has complied with all immigration process requirements since entering the United States in 2022. Her attorneys argue the arrest violated the U.S. Constitution and ICE's own policy against detaining nursing mothers without extraordinary circumstances. Multiple organizations are submitting a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security seeking her immediate release, and her children have missed critical medical appointments.

Iryna Gorb, a 38-year-old Ukrainian photographer and barista, was arrested by plainclothes ICE agents at San Francisco International Airport on July 22-23, 2026, as she returned from Portland. Gorb had lawfully entered the United States on a visa on July 6, 2010, which expired on May 31, 2011, and had lived in San Francisco for over 15 years working at Better Half Cafe in the Polk Gulch neighborhood while also selling repurposed vintage clothing and doing photography work. Video recorded by Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson shows plainclothes agents pinning Gorb to the ground while she screamed "You're choking me!" and pleaded for help. Witnesses reported the agents did not display clear identification. After her arrest, Gorb was transferred to California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert, where she remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. Her family home in Kharkiv was destroyed in Russian attacks, and she had been using nearly all her earnings to support family members who fled to Europe. Friend Andy Eblin described her as "fiercely loyal, always willing to help friends." State Sen. Scott Wiener condemned the arrest and noted that deporting Gorb to Ukraine would send her to a war zone. Gorb is working with attorneys on a petition for her release, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $47,000 to support her legal defense.

Galina Bobreneva, a 40-year-old Russian national who entered the U.S. legally on a tourist visa in 2021, extended her stay after the war in Ukraine began, and applied for asylum in 2022, was detained by a plainclothes ICE agent at Burbank airport on July 13 while traveling with her husband, Brent Jindra, a technology salesman who says he voted for Trump three times. The couple married in December 2025, and Jindra had filed a marriage-based green card petition for her in April, with fingerprinting already completed; her lawyer maintains she was never out of lawful status, while DHS says she overstayed her visa and calls her 'an illegal alien.' She spent 16 days in detention, including a night on the floor of a basement holding cell in downtown Los Angeles and about two weeks at the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility, where she said she was treated 'like a piece of meat, not like a human,' citing sleep deprivation, only four working showers for about 120 women, scarce drinking water, and denied healthcare. She was released on July 29 on a $35,000 bond and fitted with an electronic monitor, with an ICE check-in scheduled for September 7 and a court appearance set for October 22. 'A US citizen just watched his wife get dragged away and had no idea where she's going,' Jindra said. 'We are living in fear in my own country.'

Juan Quim, 19, a Guatemalan national who arrived in the U.S. at age 10, was pulled over for a traffic offense in Littleville on July 29, 2026, and transferred to ICE custody via a 287(g) transfer. He recently graduated with honors from Russellville High School, excelled in the school's welding program, earned several awards, and worked at a local restaurant. Active in his church and deeply connected to his community, Quim now faces deportation despite an outstanding removal order allegedly issued after he failed to appear at immigration hearings in 2023 when he was 15 years old. According to community organizer Gracie Pounders, Quim and his family were unaware of the hearing. He is currently detained at a facility in Natchez, Mississippi.

Prem Raj Pun Magar, a Nepali national, filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus challenging the constitutionality of his detention in federal immigration custody. He is currently detained at the Rio Grande Processing Center. The petition names Miguel Vergara (ICE-ERO Field Office Director), Markwayne Mullin (Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Todd Blanche (U.S. Attorney General), and the Warden of the Rio Grande Processing Center as respondents. On August 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered respondents to file a response to the petition by August 10, 2026, with evidence from Magar's A-file. The court directed notification to the U.S. Attorney and ordered respondents to notify the court and Magar's counsel of any planned transfer or release.

Manuel Maria Sarmiento-Alvarez, a 46-year-old Ecuadorian national who has lived in the United States since 2003 and established community roots in Philadelphia with two U.S. citizen children, was detained by DHS/ICE on July 29, 2026, after officers showed him a photograph of a different individual they were seeking. Despite Sarmiento-Alvarez's denial that he was the person depicted, officers detained him anyway at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. The court granted his habeas corpus petition on August 1, 2026, finding that his detention without a bond hearing violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, ordered his immediate release, and temporarily enjoined re-detention for seven days pending a proper bond hearing.

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a Salvadoran man and father of a 2-year-old daughter, was shot by ICE agents on Interstate 5 at Sperry Avenue in the Patterson area of Stanislaus County, California. ICE acting director Todd Lyons said Mendoza Hernandez was undocumented and an alleged gang member wanted for questioning in connection with a murder in El Salvador. His fiancée Cindy and attorney Patrick Kolasinski disputed the gang allegation, stating he had no criminal encounters since arriving in the U.S. around 2019 or 2020. Kolasinski said he received information from El Salvador that Mendoza Hernandez had been acquitted of the murder charge and there should be no active warrant. The family had not been given updates on his condition or told how many times he was shot. A Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said he was in critical condition. His fiancée believes a recent traffic stop for a cracked windshield may have led to him being targeted. Kolasinski criticized ICE's handling of the confrontation, saying proper protocol would have been a calm approach. The FBI is leading the investigation.

A woman discovered she was pregnant while in ICE detention and subsequently miscarried. After the miscarriage, she was shackled to a hospital bed while officers questioned her. The incident raises serious concerns about medical care and treatment of pregnant detainees in immigration custody.

A father has been detained by ICE and is facing deportation to Laos after spending most of his life in the United States. He is the primary financial provider for his family, leaving his wife to care for their younger son and manage household expenses alone. His daughter organized a GoFundMe to help cover legal and immigration expenses, travel and communication costs to stay connected with him, and basic living expenses while the family adjusts to losing his income.

Diana Avila's 20-year-old brother, who has autism since childhood and is described as intelligent, generous, and a good student, was arrested by ICE during an ongoing legal process and transferred between states. He is currently detained in Texas, where he reports being denied blankets, medicine, and adequate food. He developed a stomach infection and is experiencing high fevers but says staff insults and threatens him when he requests medical care, pressuring him to sign deportation papers. His family is unable to afford legal representation and fears for his safety.

José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a Mexican citizen who has lived continuously in the United States since 1998, was detained by ICE agents on July 7, 2026, after witnessing a fatal shooting in Houston. Pliego was a passenger in a work van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old homebuilder and father of three who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal status. ICE agents pursued the vehicle, rammed it, and shot Araujo, who had no criminal record. Pliego, who is in a common-law marriage with a U.S. citizen and has multiple U.S. citizen children and stepchildren, and Araujo's other passenger submitted sworn statements describing the shooting differently from the government's account, stating that agents were not positioned in front of the vehicle and that it had been boxed in when the officer fired. This contradicted DHS's claim that Araujo had "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer." After being held at the Montgomery Processing Center for weeks with no criminal history, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered ICE to release Pliego on July 29, 2026, finding that his mandatory detention without an individualized bond determination violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. Pliego has applied for a U-visa as a possible crime victim related to the ICE shooting, with the Harris County District Attorney's Office supporting that application.

Alma Guadalupe Nunez-Quijada, a 45-year-old Mexican national who has lived in the U.S. since age 4, was arrested by masked ICE agents near the Pima County Consolidated Court Justice Court on Tuesday after attending a hearing for a noise-ordinance violation. The mother of three U.S. citizens was detained at cross streets adjacent to the courthouse. Her children told the Arizona Daily Star they do not know how ICE knew their mother would be there. An ICE spokesperson confirmed the arrest and said Nunez-Quijada has a criminal history including a domestic violence assault conviction from 2006, though KJZZ could not verify that claim; Pima County court records show she faced minor traffic charges in 2004 and a charge for failing to pay a fine in 2017.

Cristobal S. was forcefully detained by ICE agents on November 10, 2024, at 7 a.m. when agents smashed the window of his truck and cut him while removing him from the vehicle. He is the sole breadwinner for his family, leaving behind three children and his mother. His family is seeking financial assistance through a GoFundMe campaign to cover bills, legal fees, food, and other basic needs during his detention.

Aurora, 24, and her six-year-old daughter were detained by ICE and sent to a family detention center in Texas. The daughter had arrived at the U.S. border alone and spent more than six months in a child migrant shelter before reuniting with her mother in late March. The detention occurred after the Office of Refugee Resettlement shared information about unaccompanied children, their sponsors, and household members with ICE.

A 14-year-old Brazilian girl with an expired visitor visa was detained by ICE agents on March 11 in a parking lot outside Bethel Presbyterian Church in Marlboro, Massachusetts, after a car was pulled over. Her attorney stated she was with her U.S. citizen brothers, though DHS disputed this account, claiming she was with two Brazilian men suspected of gang ties with no familial relationship to her. ICE said the men's vehicle was connected to an alleged attempted home invasion in Walpole. The girl was taken to the JFK federal building in Boston for 10 hours, then transported overnight to a children's detention facility in New York. At a hearing, Federal Judge Leo T. Sorokin expressed concern about the detention and overnight transfer, stating it was the first time in his 22 years on the bench that he had seen agents detain a juvenile solely because no appropriate person was available to release her to. He ordered her immediate return to Massachusetts, and she was reunited with her maternal aunt, a U.S. citizen, at the JFK building in Boston.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 44-year-old Ethiopian national who came to the U.S. in 2014, was granted protection from deportation in 2024 under the Convention Against Torture after an immigration judge found he would likely face torture or persecution if returned to Ethiopia. Despite federal court orders in February and March requiring his release, roughly 10 ICE agents arrested him a third time on July 28, 2025, at his Baltimore-area apartment after falsely telling him and his attorney his ankle monitor was malfunctioning. Agents shoved his head into a car and gave him documents referencing Eswatini, a country ICE had previously tried unsuccessfully to deport him to. A judge again ordered his immediate release the same day, and U.S. District Judge John deGravelles later held then-ICE deputy field office director Vernon Liggins, who ordered the arrest on his last day in that role, in civil contempt, ordering ICE to pay Mohammed's attorney's fees and $180 for lost time. Mohammed, who spent 13 months in and out of ICE custody, testified the repeated detentions caused him nightmares and led his landlord to force him to move out.

Daniela Murillo Narvaez is a 30-year-old Colombian citizen who has lived in the United States since March 2023, when she was admitted on a B-2 visitor visa. She filed an asylum application in June 2023 that remained pending for over one year. Narvaez has been employed since April 2024 as a Distribution Analyst with Cordiasla USA in Texas and has a partner residing in California. She has no criminal history and has been treated for depression and anxiety with bupropion medication since 2024. On July 28, 2026, while traveling for work from Houston to Ontario, California, ICE agents detained Narvaez upon her arrival at Ontario International Airport without advance notice or a pre-deprivation hearing, and confiscated her documents. She was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where she has been held for over one week without receiving her required psychiatric medication, which her physician warned could result in serious health risks if interrupted. Narvaez filed an ex parte application for a temporary restraining order seeking immediate release from detention. On August 10, 2026, the federal court granted her application, ordering her immediate release under the same terms as before her detention, requiring return of seized property, and prohibiting re-detention without notice and a pre-deprivation hearing before a neutral adjudicator.

Juan Carlos Pichardo Mejia, a Mexican national who entered the United States in 2006, was detained by ICE on July 28, 2026, and held at the Farmville Detention Center. He filed a habeas corpus petition on August 1, 2026, challenging his detention and seeking either release or a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge. The respondents argued he was properly detained under the mandatory detention provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2) because he entered without inspection. The federal court granted his petition, finding that because Pichardo Mejia entered the country in 2006 and was already present in the United States, he falls under the category of noncitizens already in the country subject to discretionary detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), not mandatory detention. The court ordered that he be provided with a bond hearing before an Immigration Judge within seven days and enjoined respondents from denying bond based on § 1225(b)(2).

Ezzat Adel Abdalla Magly, an Egyptian national, is detained at the Western Tennessee Detention Facility pending removal proceedings. He filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release from custody or a bond hearing, along with a motion for temporary restraining order to prevent transfer outside the district. The court denied his motion for temporary restraining order, finding he failed to demonstrate irreparable harm from a potential transfer.

Elzon Lemus, a 23-year-old electrician and U.S. citizen from Brentwood, New York, was stopped and detained by ICE and Homeland Security agents while riding in a passenger seat on his way to work in Westbury. Agents told him he "looks like somebody we are looking for" but refused to identify themselves or specify who they were searching for. When Lemus refused to provide ID without identifying information from the agents, he was handcuffed and held for 20-25 minutes while they confiscated his phone; they eventually found his ID in his pockets. His attorney, Fred Brewington, is calling the incident racial profiling and a breach of federal civil rights, while state assemblyman Philip Ramo demanded a Department of Justice investigation.

Two brothers working as kitchen staff at El Nopalito restaurant were taken into ICE custody earlier in the week. They have legal advisors but require financial support for expenses including phone calls, legal communications, and personal hygiene items while in custody, as well as to support their families with housing, food, and utilities during their absence from work. A fundraiser was organized by to cover legal, travel, and family support expenses as the brothers work through the immigration process.