Human Impact Project

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to stop pressuring Facebook and Apple to remove ICE-monitoring apps and social media groups used by Chicago residents to track immigration enforcement activity. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Kassandra Rosado, who created the "ICE Sighting-Chicagoland" Facebook group, and Mark Hodges, who developed the Eyes Up mobile app for recording ICE officers. The judge found the agencies had coerced the tech companies into removing these platforms during the Trump administration's deportation enforcement operations.

A 15-year-old U.S. citizen was detained by Customs and Border Patrol agents on Chicago's East Side after federal agents deployed tear gas at a crash scene. According to his attorneys, the teen was slammed to the ground, zip-tied, and held in a garage for five hours without being booked, read his rights, or allowed to contact his mother. DHS stated the teen was arrested for allegedly throwing an egg at an agent, taken to an FBI field office where he admitted to the action, and released without charges. A 16-year-old U.S. citizen born and raised in Chicago was arrested and body-slammed by federal immigration agents during the East Side operation. His mother, Juanita Garnica, reported receiving a call that her son had been beaten, body-slammed, and taken into custody, but was not informed of his whereabouts or status. He was among multiple people arrested during the federal operation and subsequent protest.

On October 15, 2025, ICE agents conducted a raid at a car wash in Hamden, Connecticut, detaining between seven and eight people. Among those detained were parents of school-age children. Witnesses reported seeing masked agents in tactical gear and unmarked vehicles; one person was slammed to the ground and another was placed in an unmarked van. An agent allegedly threatened a witness who inquired about detainees. Hamden's mayor, town council president, state legislators, and immigrant rights advocates held a press conference that afternoon to express concern about the raid and family separations.

ICE stopped and arrested 3 individuals who were traveling to work at a Family Dollar store on Robinson Avenue in Springdale, Arkansas. Officers broke the car windows during the stop. ICE was reported to have been spotted in other areas of the city that same morning.

Hanover Park police officer Radule Bojovic, a Montenegrin citizen, was detained by ICE on October 15, 2025, as part of Operation Midway Blitz after overstaying his B2 tourist visa by approximately 10 years—he was supposed to leave in March 2015 but remained in the country unlawfully while serving as a sworn officer with firearm access. He was released on bond on October 31 after federal authorities did not contest the release, and returned to full duty shortly after. Village officials stated Bojovic was legally authorized to work and carry a firearm at the time of hire with no criminal history.

A 13-year-old Brazilian boy named Arthur was arrested by Massachusetts police on a violent threat allegation and immediately taken into ICE custody, leaving his mother Josiele Berto unable to retrieve him. The Department of Homeland Security claimed Arthur had an "extensive rap sheet" and possessed a firearm, but local officials confirmed no gun was found. Arthur was transferred from Massachusetts to Virginia without notice to his family or attorney. A federal court petition was filed arguing his detention violates due process. His mother, whose family has a pending asylum application, can only communicate with him through brief phone calls.

A long-time employee of Hojas Tea House was detained Tuesday morning while taking out the trash at its Wilmington location, according to a post the concept shared on its Instagram account. According to the post, Eloy was part of Hojas Tea House for 12 years.

Four U.S. citizen cemetery workers at Concordia Cemetery were arrested and subjected to pepper balls and pepper spray during an ICE operation that crossed onto private property. The workers were detained for hours before being released without charges. Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins made statements regarding the operation and requested its termination.

US Border Patrol agents pursued a vehicle driven by a person in the country illegally and used a precision immobilization technique that caused the vehicle to crash into other cars on Chicago's far southeast side. The incident led to a confrontation with federal agents at the scene.

Maria Greeley, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen and Chicago resident born at Illinois Masonic Hospital, was detained by three masked federal agents outside the Beach Bar on Ohio Street after finishing a double shift in early October 2025. The agents restrained her with zip ties and questioned her for approximately one hour, challenging the authenticity of her passport and telling her she "doesn't look like" her last name Greeley, despite her carrying documentation proving her citizenship. After about an hour, the agents released her. Following the incident, Greeley reported experiencing psychological distress and said she felt compelled to "lay low."

Warren King, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen born and raised in Chicago, was tackled and arrested by federal immigration agents at a Walgreens store on the East Side during an operation targeting undocumented immigrants. King was shopping with friends and family when agents swarmed the store; he was arrested despite repeatedly telling agents he was a U.S. citizen and legally in the country. He was held for hours before being released without charges, left with physical and mental injuries from the takedown.

Victor Cruz-Gamez, a 55-year-old Hillsboro business owner, was arrested by ICE on October 14 after agents pulled him over in downtown Hillsboro, apparently searching for another person named Victor Cruz. Cruz-Gamez had recently received work authorization and visa eligibility from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and has no Oregon criminal history except a dismissed 2008 traffic ticket. Despite these factors, he has remained in ICE custody at the Northwest Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington since his arrest, facing deportation because he unlawfully crossed the border as a teenager.

Border Patrol agents pursued a vehicle for 18 minutes through Chicago's East Side neighborhood on October 14, 2025, ignoring supervisor orders to stop the chase. The vehicle crashed after agents blew a tire, not from an authorized immobilization technique as DHS claimed. Following the crash, an agent pointed his weapon at bystanders in a nearby Walgreens, claiming they charged at him despite video evidence contradicting this account.

Victor Cruz, a Hillsboro resident with legal work authorization and temporary protected status, was arrested by ICE on October 14 after agents pulled him over, claiming he was wanted on DUI and hit-and-run charges. ICE agents allegedly confused him with another man bearing the same name despite recognizing the photo mismatch. After ICE confirmed at the Portland facility that Cruz had no criminal record, he was transferred to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, where he remained for over three weeks. An immigration judge initially denied bail, but a federal district court judge released Cruz on bond on November 7. Democratic political leaders, including Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and his family and attorney protested the detention as unlawful.

Ali Faqirzada, 31, fled Afghanistan in 2021 and has been waiting for his asylum case to be decided since 2022. On October 14, ICE detained Ali after an Asylum Officer found he had a viable claim for asylum. Ali fled Afghanistan after he and his family received death threats from Taliban members. Every member of Ali's family, including his parents and siblings, have been granted asylum. Ali was the last family member waiting for a decision on his immigration case. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated the application and instead placed Ali in expedited removal proceedings. Ali passed an initial screening by an Asylum Officer. ICE subsequently arrested and jailed him. ICE has the authority to immediately release Ali to continue his immigration case.

ICE and Border Patrol agents threatened to arrest a Chicago cyclist who was following and recording them. The incident was captured on video and shared by a Chicago Tribune journalist. Community members intervened with whistles, which appeared to cause the agents to back away from the cyclist.

Five people were detained during a raid on September 13, 2025 at 9:55 AM in Long Beach at 577 E Wardlow Rd. The detained individuals included migrants, citizens, and legal residents. Carwash owners and construction site operators were advised to install protective fencing around their work sites and properties.

Leo Cruz Silva, a 34-year-old Mexican national, died by suicide on October 4, 2025, in Ste. Genevieve County Jail while in ICE custody. Arrested on September 30 for public intoxication in Festus, Missouri, Silva was transferred to ICE custody on October 1 for reinstatement of a prior removal order. During his first days in custody, he experienced acute mental distress, including auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, and attempts to leave his cell. On October 3, jail staff observed him hiding under his bed, and a medical provider ordered antipsychotic medications, though treatment was not immediately scheduled. On October 4 at approximately 3:20 p.m., jail employees found him with a sheet tied around his neck. Staff removed the ligature and began CPR; he was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m. Silva had entered the U.S. without documents and had been deported twice between 2010 and 2025 before re-entering. His death was the second reported suicide in ICE custody in Missouri in 2025. On October 13, about 50 community members gathered for a vigil organized by Abide in Love Ste. Genevieve. The DHS Office of Inspector General and ICE Office of Professional Responsibility are reviewing the case, examining intake screenings, wellness checks, medical response timing, and compliance with detention protocols.

Fidel Rivera, an undocumented immigrant who worked in construction in North Carolina for over 20 years, self-deported to Mexico on October 13, 2025, to avoid potential immigration detention. His family, including his U.S. citizen wife and two daughters, are spending the holidays separated as Rivera must remain in Mexico for at least 10 years before he can reapply for legal status.

A 13-year-old Brazilian boy with a pending asylum case was arrested by ICE in Everett after an interaction with local police and transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Winchester, Virginia. His mother was told she could pick him up from the Everett Police Department but was informed ICE had taken him instead. A federal judge ordered the government to justify the arrest by October 14 or provide a bond hearing by October 17.

A car fleeing from U.S. Border Patrol agents crashed on West Paisano Drive in El Paso, killing two migrants from Guatemala and Mexico. The 2011 Infiniti G37 lost control on a curve, hit a curb and flipped after the driver attempted to flee following a border crossing. Four other passengers were injured in the rollover crash.

An 18-year-old girl in Hoffman Estates was forcibly removed from a vehicle and thrown to the ground by what appeared to be a federal agent during a weekend enforcement operation. She and two friends were detained for hours before being released. Her parents are demanding accountability and taking legal action, while there is confusion about which agency was responsible for the arrest.

A 15-year-old boy with autism and special needs, Emmanuel González Garcia, went missing on October 4, 2025, after wandering away from his mother Maria García's fruit stand in Houston. Houston Police Department located him the next day but did not connect him with the existing missing person report due to a name discrepancy (Manuel vs. Emmanuel). HPD contacted ICE and transferred the boy to federal immigration custody. García was without knowledge of her son's whereabouts for nearly a week until an immigration attorney intervened. The teen is now in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody and is facing emergency appendix surgery. An investigation into the Houston Police Department's procedures was initiated following the incident.

Rev. ELaura James Reid, a 49-year-old pastor of Coleman Chapel CME Church and lifelong Memphian, was pulled over on October 10, 2025, by a man in camouflage fatigues driving an unmarked SUV with a matte army green finish as she left a church unity summit at an East Memphis hotel. The officer claimed she looked lost or was "driving unsure," though she had properly stopped at a stop sign and signaled her turn. When Reid questioned whether it was normal for National Guard members to ask for licenses, the officer told her to have a nice day and let her go. She was not arrested or ticketed.

Drumgoon Dairy, a 6,500-cow operation owned by Rodney and Dorothy Elliott, experienced a federal Department of Homeland Security audit that resulted in the immediate termination of 38 employees in spring 2025. The audit found several workers had inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete documentation regarding citizenship status or work permits. The farm was left with 16 workers after the operation, losing years of accumulated experience and team knowledge built over a decade.

A federal judge in Illinois issued a temporary restraining order blocking federal agents from using tear gas, pepper balls, and excessive force against protesters demonstrating outside an ICE detention facility near Chicago. The order was prompted by video of Reverend David Black, a Presbyterian pastor in clerical garb, being repeatedly struck with pepper balls and chemical spray while peacefully praying during a protest at the Broadview facility.

ICE arrested a U.S. citizen in Oregon. An attorney stated the arrest was illegal and characterized it as an abduction. Limited details about the arrested individual's identity and circumstances are available in the report.

Chicago TV producer for WGN-TV, Debbie Brockman, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Friday in a residential area during immigration enforcement operations. A federal judge had issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS agents from arresting journalists without probable cause. Brockman was released from federal custody the same day with no charges filed against her.

Two women were arrested by ICE agents in front of an elementary school near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus on the West Side. DHS accused the women of stalking an ICE vehicle and attempting to impede a targeted operation. Officers forcibly removed one woman from her car, and the incident was recorded on video.

Guilherme Lemes Cardoso E Silva, a 35-year-old Brazilian visual artist and former attorney based in Sausalito, was detained by ICE agents on July 11, 2025, while driving on San Juan Island, Washington, to pick up his 4-year-old daughter. His wife, Rachel Leidig, who is an American makeup artist 7 months pregnant with their first child due in October, says ICE agents surrounded Silva's car with approximately six unmarked vehicles, refused to show a warrant, confiscated his phone while he was recording, and used physical force during the arrest, pushing him against the car and handcuffing him. Silva, who entered the U.S. on a valid six-month visa eight years ago and overstayed his status, had no criminal record and was in the final stages of applying for a green card through an I-130 petition filed by his wife after they married in April 2025. ICE agents claimed to have found illicit images on Silva's phone and charged him with possessing depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Silva was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, where according to Leidig he was subjected to invasive searches, made to sleep on the floor with 35 other detainees, and shackled during transport. On July 29, a judge ordered Silva's release on bond, which Leidig paid in full, but ICE transferred him to Whatcom County without explanation, complicating his legal representation. On September 12, after 63 days in custody, Silva was released on personal recognizance. On October 6, a judge dismissed the criminal charges against him without prejudice, four days before the birth of his newborn son, Isidore. The Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney indicated charges could be refiled pending investigation completion. Leidig speculated that the detention may have been related to a custody battle Silva was involved in.

On February 7, 2025, ICE officers arrested 12 employees at El Potro Mexican Restaurant in Liberty, Missouri while searching for a registered sex offender. A federal judge ruled that 11 of the arrests were unlawful, finding that ICE lacked probable cause to justify warrantless arrests and violated a legal settlement agreement requiring probable cause that a person is likely to escape before making such arrests in the Midwest region. The judge found that the restaurant owner was not informed that employees had the option to refuse speaking with agents. The National Immigrant Justice Center brought the case challenging the raids. The federal judge extended the terms of the settlement agreement through February 2026.

An 18-year-old U.S. citizen was detained by ICE agents on October 10, 2025, in Hoffman Estates along with two others. Video footage shows agents pulling the teenager from a car and restraining her on the ground. The detainees were released without charges after a few hours.

A veteran and U.S. citizen was detained by ICE. During detention, the individual was placed on suicide watch in a cell wearing a hospital dress on a concrete bed with a thin mattress. The cell had a light on continuously and officers were stationed outside with a glass door. A psychiatric nurse conducted one check per day. The individual was held in these conditions from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon when released.

Federal officers took three people into custody outside the South Portland ICE facility on Thursday night during a protest against Trump administration immigration policies. The reasons for the federal arrests were not immediately clear. Portland police also arrested two people at the facility on separate charges.

Esteban Rios Sosa, who had lived in the United States for 28 years and was applying for a U visa for crime victims, was detained at the San Diego courthouse after arriving for a routine ICE check-in on October 9, 2025. He was held in the basement for one night in an 8-by-16-foot cell with six other men, where he slept on a thin yoga mat-like mattress and endured inhumane conditions. ICE agents told him he would be expedited removal without opportunity to appeal to a judge, and he was deported to Tijuana the next day. DHS later posted a tweet claiming he had been charged with domestic violence and aggravated assault, but Rios Sosa said those charges belong to his son with a different name, and some of his paperwork had his brother's name on it. His wife was also detained the same day and transferred between facilities. Rios Sosa says he experienced severe emotional and physical trauma and hopes to file a lawsuit claiming his deportation was unlawful.

ICE detained numerous asylum-seekers and migrants at the San Diego federal courthouse basement between October 9-21, 2025, after summoning them for routine check-ins. Detainees reported being held in crowded cells for up to four days in conditions they described as inadequate, including limited bedding (yoga mat-like mattresses), no privacy for bathroom use, cold temperatures, fluorescent lights kept on all night, inedible food, and lack of medical attention. Families were denied proper goodbyes, and detainees were not searchable in ICE's locator system. Some were subsequently deported or transferred to other detention facilities without proper legal proceedings.

Sunny Naqvi, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen from Skokie, was detained at O'Hare Airport after returning from a work trip to Turkey and held for nearly 30 hours at ICE facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin before being released. Federal agencies provided conflicting accounts of her detention, with CBP claiming she was released within 90 minutes while her family and elected officials reported she was transferred to multiple detention centers. Her case is part of a broader pattern, with ProPublica documenting over 170 U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents in recent years and advocacy groups reporting increased airport encounters in 2026.

Rueben Antonio Cruz, a 60-year-old lawful permanent resident from El Salvador, was stopped by ICE agents in Rogers Park and detained in an ICE vehicle while agents questioned him. After verifying through their databases that he was legally in the country, agents released him but issued him a $130 ticket for not carrying proof of permanent resident registration on his person. Cruz, a former dishwasher living in a government-funded apartment due to health issues, was given 60 days to pay the fine or face court.

Noor Nafea Salman, a 28-year-old lawful permanent resident and medical student at the University of Virginia, was detained by ICE on October 9, 2025, during what she believed would be a routine immigration check-in appointment. Salman, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iraq at age 17 and graduated from James Madison University, has been complying with ICE check-ins for six years prior to her detention. She is married to Khaled, a Palestinian-American U.S. citizen, and her mother and five siblings are all U.S. citizens. Since her detention at Diamondback Detention Center in Oklahoma and other facilities in Texas, Salman's health has deteriorated significantly over approximately ten months. She has been hospitalized multiple times for asthma complications, suffered a fall she believes caused a concussion, and has become extremely weak. Her husband visits weekly from 250 miles away, and her family continues to advocate for her release and access to proper medical care.

Despite having Convention Against Torture protection barring removal to El Salvador, C.O. was detained by ICE in May 2025 and pressured to accept removal to Mexico. After refusing, ICE transported him to the border and handed him to Mexican authorities, who drove him to Guatemala, which transferred him to El Salvador — all while shackled. Salvadoran authorities threatened to send him to CECOT. His family has had no contact since October 9, 2025.

Panchos Tacos in Mount Vernon, Ohio closed in early October 2025 after an ICE operation resulted in the arrest of five undocumented immigrants who were employees at the restaurant. After five months of closure, the restaurant reopened on March 3, 2026, with support from the local community.

Federal immigration enforcement agents have been documented driving unmarked vehicles without required license plates in Chicago and surrounding areas since September 2025. The Sun-Times identified four such vehicles operating from an ICE facility in Broadview, with agents wearing masks and no identifying badges. Civil rights advocates have expressed concerns about accountability and public safety. DHS states the vehicles comply with federal regulations.

ICE agents conducted an enforcement action at West Loop Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois during afternoon school pickup. Thirteen masked agents surrounded a car and removed two sisters who were DACA recipients and were eventually released after proving their legal status. One sister, Jocelyn, stated the agents did not have a warrant. The driver of the vehicle was also the other sister. A teacher exiting an Uber at the time recorded video of the incident after hearing children screaming.

Alandria London, a Black ride-share driver, was pulled over by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper on October 8, 2025, while taking a passenger to the airport. The officer claimed he did not see her seat belt, though she was wearing one. After the officer said he needed to "call it in," an Immigration and Customs Enforcement van pulled up behind the motorcycle. London believes she was profiled as Hispanic and stopped as a pretext for an immigration check. She was not cited or arrested but posted about the incident on Facebook with a photo showing herself wearing the seat belt.

Daniel Greer and David Eichler, U.S. citizen cemetery workers at Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois, say they were pepper-sprayed and arrested by ICE agents on Tuesday afternoon while attempting to help an unidentified man struggling in the Des Plaines River. According to the workers, ICE agents breached the cemetery gate onto private property, immediately pepper-sprayed them with guns drawn, and tackled them to the ground after they questioned the agents' authority and noted the man was on the riverbank outside the cemetery property.

Maria Francisca Villanueva Caballero, 49, a longtime Firebaugh resident with no criminal record, was detained by ICE on October 8, 2025, while attending a scheduled USCIS appointment to adjust her status. She came to the U.S. in 2000 and settled in Firebaugh in 2001, where she worked at a packing plant, volunteered with the Catholic Church, and supported youth sports. She raised four children who became UCLA and UC Berkeley graduates pursuing careers in medicine, veterinary science, and law. On October 17, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria and other state and local leaders held a press conference in support of her release, and a petition gathered 7,619 signatures. Caballero is being held at the detention facility in California City, which opened in August 2025.

A non-citizen was initially detained by ICE on February 27, 2018, and released on bond in June 2018. On October 8, 2025, ICE re-detained him without providing notice or a pre-detention hearing. A court granted his habeas corpus petition, finding that his prior release created a constitutionally protected liberty interest that required ICE to provide a pre-detention hearing before re-detaining him. The court ordered his immediate release on the conditions he was subject to prior to October 8, 2025, and enjoined immigration authorities from re-detaining him in the future without notice and a pre-detention hearing before an immigration judge.

José Medina, a 35-year-old tamal vendor, was arrested by immigration authorities on October 8, 2025, while selling tamales at a 7-Eleven in San Pedro. After his detention, his family feared additional raids and stayed home with 720 unsold tamales. Community members, including artist Rubén Ochoa and his girlfriend, mobilized to sell the tamales through personal deliveries. Medina signed a deportation order and was in Tijuana by October 10, leaving his family behind.

Federal immigration officers entered the Brooklyn home of Hayk Safaryan, a 44-year-old Armenian immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for over two decades, without a judicial warrant or consent and detained him while seizing his personal documents. According to court testimony from his wife, officers conducted a warrantless search after Safaryan answered the door. A federal habeas lawsuit challenges the arrest's legality under Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, part of broader litigation challenging ICE enforcement practices across the country.

Marie, a graduate student and lawful visitor to the United States, was detained for more than 20 weeks at Basile detention center during a high-risk pregnancy. Despite informing ICE officers of her pregnancy, she was placed in solitary confinement after being transferred thousands of miles from the U.S.-Canada border. Medical care was delayed until other detained women advocated for her. She was denied prenatal vitamins and provided inedible food. Marie was released only after legal advocates intervened. After her detention, she developed eclampsia, endured a difficult delivery, and continues to struggle with postpartum depression linked to her detention trauma.