Human Impact Project

According to a social media post, Border Patrol allegedly illegally arrested a U.S. citizen. The family reportedly does not know the whereabouts of the arrested individual. The incident was shared on Instagram with a video documenting the situation.

Joel Gutierrez, a longtime Arizona resident who rebuilds homes, was detained by ICE agents on the morning of July 6 while on his way to drop off his 7-year-old daughter before work. His daughter witnessed the detention and called her mother crying to report that ICE agents had taken her father. According to the mother's account, ICE agents told her that Gutierrez attempted to run but was caught and detained. The family's daughter, Denise Gutierrez, has spoken out about the incident and the impact on her younger sister, saying the child has been deeply affected by the separation and frequently asks when she will see her father again.

An Iranian national and his U.S. citizen wife pleaded guilty following a June 21, 2025 confrontation with ICE agents at their Tempe home. Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand pleaded guilty to being an immigrant in possession of firearms and ammunition, while his wife, Linet Vartaniann, pleaded guilty to threatening a federal law enforcement officer. A federal grand jury had indicted the couple on June 24 on these charges after ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers arrived to arrest Eidivand for failing to comply with a 2013 removal order he had unsuccessfully challenged before the Board of Immigration Appeals on several occasions. When officers arrived, Vartaniann refused to open the door, called Tempe police, and threatened to shoot anyone who entered the home; a search warrant executed the next day by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and ERO found two loaded firearms inside. Both face potential prison sentences at their November sentencing hearing.

A U.S. deputy marshal was briefly detained by ICE agents in the lobby of a federal building in Tucson, Arizona because he matched the general description of a person ICE was seeking. The deputy marshal's identity was quickly confirmed by other law enforcement officers, and he was released without incident.

Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, a 41-year-old undocumented Iranian resident, was arrested by HSI agents at his home in June without a warrant. He pleaded guilty on August 21 to possessing firearms and ammunition. His attorney claims he faces an execution order in Iran due to his views against the country's Islamist regime. After taking a plea deal with time served and two years' probation, Eidivand was immediately detained by ICE and has been held at Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California for three months, where ICE agents have allegedly pressured him to sign a deportation order without legal representation.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari visited the Eloy Detention Center in late May and spoke with over 20 detainees who reported forced outdoor walking until fainting, manipulated air conditioning, and sickness. Ansari requested information from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the reported conditions.

A Guatemalan national identified as O.C.G. who was deported to Mexico has been returned to the United States following a federal judge's order. O.C.G. had sought asylum after experiencing violence in Guatemala and during border transit. He is now in ICE custody while his case challenging third-country deportations proceeds through the courts.

Marta Alicia Dominguez, 51, from El Salvador, was arrested by Dallas Police in May 2025 on a family dispute charge. After her criminal case was dismissed, ICE placed a detainer and transferred her to custody. She presented herself at the Paso del Norte port of entry in 2017 and was granted entry after a credible fear interview. A judge granted her asylum in October 2025, but DHS filed an appeal and continues to hold her in Eloy Detention Center. She has contracted Hepatitis A and B, lost 30 pounds, and her health has significantly declined while in detention.

ICE agents arrested multiple individuals outside the Phoenix immigration court on Tuesday, May 21, 2025, including at least two people immediately after their court hearings. One documented case involved a Venezuelan man in his 20s who had entered through the CBP One program and was preparing for a credible fear interview. Attorneys noted that some individuals whose cases appeared to be dismissed were taken into custody. The arrests followed a January DHS directive that reversed protections for courthouse arrests, a policy that had previously restricted ICE enforcement in sensitive locations. Similar enforcement actions occurred at immigration courts across the country, with agents in Los Angeles positioned to coordinate notifications when cases were dismissed. The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement by enlisting agents from multiple federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, ATF, and FBI.

A pregnant Guatemalan woman became lost in the Arizona desert near the U.S.-Mexico border while attempting to cross. She navigated dangerous terrain while pregnant and provided a firsthand account of her experience.

In Arizona, a woman watering her flowers spoke with two men who said they were from Tucson Electric Power and were looking for a resident who wanted a 'free estimate.' She watched as they entered her neighbor's yard. Noticing one had a badge under his shirt, she suspected they were immigration agents and ran to warn her neighbor, a Honduran man who had lived in the community for more than a decade, before he let them into his home.

After a Guatemalan woman gave birth at Tucson Medical Center in Arizona while in Border Patrol custody, she was told she faced immediate deportation and would have to decide whether to take her U.S.-citizen newborn daughter with her. Agents stationed at the hospital refused to let her attorney access her so that she could sign a G-28 form. After public pressure and intervention from local officials and counsel, the mother and baby were released into the care of a nonprofit in Phoenix.

A Mexican national who has lived in Tucson for nearly 15 years was detained by immigration agents outside St. Joseph's Hospital while leaving with a cousin who had sought emergency care there. His wife said hospital staff had repeatedly questioned the cousin about his Social Security number and legal status before agents arrived in an unmarked vehicle. The man is being held at the Florence Correctional Center with a hearing scheduled for May 15. His wife and two stepdaughters, ages 11 and 16, said they are devastated by his arrest and fear he could be deported to Mexico.

ICE agents detained Clemente Chilel Ramírez at his Phoenix apartment on April 29th after he returned from work, with his three children present during the operation. According to ICE, Ramírez had a deportation order issued in 2024 for illegally re-entering the United States after being expelled in 2016. Agents used a battering ram to enter the apartment, which ICE stated they had a search warrant for. Ramírez has no criminal record.

Brandon Gonzalez has lived in Arizona since infancy. His family came to the United States from Mexico in 1999. On July 14, Gonzalez was detained by immigration enforcement.

Jose Hermosillo, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen from Albuquerque, was detained by Border Patrol agents near Nogales, Arizona, on April 8 after approaching an officer for help during a medical emergency. He was held for 10 days at Florence Correctional Center on suspicion of illegally entering the country, despite being a U.S. citizen. The Department of Homeland Security claimed Hermosillo said he had crossed the border without authorization and was a Mexican citizen, but Hermosillo disputes this, saying he cannot read and did not understand the document he signed. His family searched for him and ultimately provided his birth certificate and social security card to officials. A magistrate judge dismissed the case on April 17, and Hermosillo was released that night.

A 52-year-old Chinese woman died by suicide while detained at the Yuma Border Patrol station in Arizona after overstaying her B-1/B-2 visitor visa. She was initially detained in California and transferred to Yuma. Surveillance footage documented the incident, showing she created a noose. CBP records indicate required welfare checks were not properly conducted or were falsely documented, and medical intervention did not occur for nearly two hours after she was found unresponsive. Representative Pramila Jayapal called for accountability regarding CBP's failure to follow detainee safety procedures.

A 28-year-old Venezuelan man was detained by ICE agents during his final interview for permanent residency at a USCIS office in Phoenix, Arizona, despite having valid work permits and approval of his family petition. He was separated from his U.S. citizen wife and 3-year-old daughter during the interview and subsequently arrested and deported.

The Battalion Search and Rescue Organization, based in Ajo, Arizona, conducts regular expeditions into the southern Arizona desert to locate and identify the remains of migrants who died during border crossings. According to the Pima County Medical Examiner, over 150 migrants died in southern Arizona in the previous year. During recent trips in February, the group found 10 and 8 death sites respectively, recovering bone fragments and other remains which are documented and reported to county authorities.

Johan, a 1-year-old boy from Honduras, was separated from his father after arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border and placed in immigration court deportation proceedings in Phoenix. The immigration judge expressed discomfort questioning the toddler about his understanding of the case. Johan's father was deported to Honduras after being told he would be reunited with his son if he signed a removal order—a promise that was not kept. Johan was granted a voluntary departure order and the government arranged to fly him to Honduras, where both his parents are located.