Human Impact Project

Juan Carlos Ramirez, a U.S. citizen, was pepper-sprayed, slammed onto vehicle hoods, punched and kneed by armed immigration agents who raided his father's auto body shop in Oxnard on June 16, 2025. Ramirez and dozens of other U.S. citizens and immigrants are seeking financial compensation through tort claims against the federal government for injuries, trauma, and deaths sustained during recent immigration enforcement operations, with claimants seeking at least $260 million collectively.

Juan Carlos Ramirez, a U.S. citizen, was pepper-sprayed, slammed onto vehicle hoods, punched in the face, and kneed by armed immigration agents during a raid on an auto body shop where his father was arrested. Ramirez filmed the incident and subsequently filed a legal claim against the federal government seeking damages for injuries and trauma.

Brian Gavidia, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained and interrogated by armed Border Patrol agents at a tow yard in Montebello during a roving patrol. Agents pushed him against a metal gate and demanded to know where he was born, asking specific questions about his birthplace despite his repeated assertions that he was American and attempts to show his Real ID. Agents took his identification and detained him for investigation of interference in an enforcement operation before releasing him after confirming his U.S. citizenship. The incident occurred during broader Border Patrol sweeps across Southern California targeting largely Latino neighborhoods and raising concerns about racial profiling.

A man was arrested by ICE on June 15, 2025, in Anaheim, California, while entering a store. He has been detained for over 7 months despite being in the process of obtaining residency through USCIS and having no criminal record. He has suffered serious health complications including hospitalization for oxygen deprivation, legal injustices including attorney abandonment, and needs funds for legal representation before his final asylum hearing in June.

On Saturday, June 14, ICE agents conducted a raid on a popular swap meet in Santa Fe Springs featuring vendors, food, and entertainment. Dozens of heavily armed, masked officers carried out the operation before a scheduled 5:30 p.m. concert, which was subsequently canceled. Witnesses reported that agents appeared to be targeting people based on appearance, with one attendee describing being photographed by agents after stating he was from the United States. DHS confirmed that two people were arrested at the swap meet and are facing deportation. The raid was part of sustained ICE activity across southern California targeting day laborers, car washers, warehouse workers, and residents in public spaces.

Heidi Plummer, a U.S. citizen and Orange County attorney, was arrested by federal agents at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana on June 14 while taking a walk. Plummer was detained, handcuffed, and transported to an ICE detention facility in Santa Ana, where she was held for approximately an hour and a half before being released. ICE denied the incident occurred, stating they were not at the park that day and made no arrests there.

Border Patrol agents questioned Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen born in East Los Angeles, at his workplace on West Olympic Boulevard. Despite Gavidia showing his Real ID and repeatedly asserting his citizenship, agents held him against a fence, twisted his arm, and confiscated his ID and phone. The incident was captured on video.

Justin Chung was detained by ICE agents at his home despite having agreed to voluntarily depart to South Korea and having purchased a ticket for June 13. He had been granted clemency and parole after serving time for a youth offense and had since reformed, mentoring at-risk teens. His pregnant wife Neftali is seeking funds for legal assistance and support.

Javier Diaz Santana, a 32-year-old deaf DACA recipient with no criminal history, was arrested by ICE agents during a raid at a car wash in Temple City, California on June 12, 2025. Despite being deaf and unable to communicate, agents confiscated his phone and wallet, handcuffed him, and transported him to an El Paso detention center without explaining his detention or accommodating his disability. He was released on July 8 after his attorney provided proof of his DACA status to authorities.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attended an ICE raid at a Huntington Park home targeting a man with a criminal history. The raid occurred at the residence of Sabrina Medina, a 28-year-old pregnant U.S. citizen mother of four, though the intended target was her husband. Agents conducted a room-by-room search while Medina and her children were removed from the home, though agents left empty-handed.

Jason Brian Gavidia, a 29-year-old US citizen born in Montebello, was detained by armed border patrol agents in an unmarked car near his auto body shop. Video footage shows agents pressing him against a fence, twisting his arm, and interrogating him about his birthplace despite his repeated statements that he was born in the United States and offered to show his ID. Witnesses described the encounter as racial profiling based on appearance. Gavidia was eventually released, but the incident occurred amid a series of ICE raids across southern California targeting people based on their appearance.

Brian Gavidia, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen born and raised in East Los Angeles, was detained by Border Patrol agents on June 12 at his workplace on West Olympic Boulevard in Montebello during an immigration enforcement operation in the San Gabriel Valley. An agent pushed Gavidia against a metal fence and demanded proof of citizenship, asking repeatedly where he was born despite his repeated statements that he was American. Video footage shows two agents holding Gavidia against the fence while he stated "I'm American, bro!" Agents confiscated his Real ID and did not return it; they also took his phone for approximately 20 minutes before returning it. Gavidia, whose mother is Colombian and his father is Salvadoran, believes he was targeted because of his Latino heritage and appearance. He described the encounter as traumatic, saying he feared for his life when an agent racked a chamber in an AR-15. A friend who was filming the encounter was injured and bleeding from the forehead after being pushed by another agent. Gavidia has since joined an ACLU lawsuit with other plaintiffs challenging immigration enforcement tactics and racial profiling, and has renounced his earlier support for President Trump, stating he was "manipulated" and "brainwashed." He now carries a copy of the U.S. Constitution and helps with know-your-rights workshops.

Sayed Naser, an Afghan national who worked as a translator and logistics contractor for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, was detained by ICE agents during a routine immigration hearing at a San Diego courthouse on June 12, 2025. Naser entered the U.S. legally in July 2024 through humanitarian visa to Brazil and Mexico, and had been granted humanitarian parole while applying for a Special Immigrant Visa and asylum. His brother was killed by the Taliban in September 2023, forcing Naser and his family into hiding in Iran. According to his attorney Brian McGoldrick, Naser has no criminal record, an active asylum case, and his brother was granted asylum weeks before his detention. During the hearing, the government attempted to dismiss his asylum case without explanation, but the judge declined and gave Naser time to respond. Naser is being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center and is unable to contact his family, who remain in hiding in Iran during an internet blackout.

Brian Gavidia, a U.S. citizen born and raised in East Los Angeles, was pinned against a gate at his car lot by armed federal agents who refused to accept that he was a citizen. He was forced to close his used-car business after agents kept returning to the neighborhood. He joined an ACLU class-action lawsuit challenging ICE's racial profiling. He also had to tell his nine-year-old daughter she couldn't visit from Portland because it wasn't safe.

Javier Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and father of four, was tackled and detained by masked federal immigration agents at a tow yard in Montebello on June 12, 2025. According to security camera footage, an agent allegedly told another agent to arrest Ramirez because he was Mexican. When Ramirez called 911 while handcuffed in a van, police said they could not assist because federal agents were involved. He was held in a downtown Los Angeles facility for more than four days and charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. The federal case against him was dismissed without prejudice. His attorney believes the charge was fabricated to cover up racial profiling.

Noemi's husband was deported to Mexico during the June 2025 ICE raids in Los Angeles. They used to get ready together before she headed to work at LA international airport. Now he calls her each morning at 8am from Mexico.

Yurien saw her father handcuffed, chained from the waist and ankles, and whisked away by ICE agents outside his workplace in LA's fashion district during the June 2025 raids. She remains haunted by the image a year later.

ICE agents rammed a white sedan with two unmarked vehicles in Boyle Heights, pinning it between them during an arrest operation. The vehicle contained a male driver, female passenger, toddler, and baby. Federal agents drew weapons and deployed tear gas before dragging the male driver from the car. The arrested man was identified as Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho, though family members claimed he is a U.S. citizen.

Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho, a 27-year-old, was arrested by federal agents in Boyle Heights after they rammed his white Mercedes sedan with multiple vehicles on Whittier Boulevard, trapping him at the intersection with Calzona Street. According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents were conducting a targeted arrest operation, stating that Cerno-Camacho was wanted in connection with an alleged assault against a CBP officer and that he attempted to flee when they tried to arrest him. A woman and two children, including an infant, were passengers in the vehicle at the time. Video footage showed armed federal agents firing chemical rounds at the vehicle before extracting Cerno-Camacho and leaving the woman and children inside. The woman and children later fled to a nearby grocery store and were reunited with family approximately three hours later. The incident occurred near a school in the neighborhood.

Christian Cerna, a 28-year-old US citizen and carpenter, was arrested by ICE on June 11, 2025, after participating in an anti-ICE protest days earlier. Officers used aggressive tactics including ramming his vehicle, detonating flash-bang grenades, and pointing assault rifles at his car while his two young children were inside. Cerna was charged with felony assault for an alleged altercation with a border patrol agent, though he and his lawyers contested the circumstances. In December 2025, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault and was sentenced in March 2026; a federal judge later criticized the case as a "vindictive effort" to impose extrajudicial punishment, and the ICE filming and social media posting of arrest footage became a subject of controversy.

On June 11, 2025, masked ICE officials detained a man in the parking lot of Downey Memorial Christian Church. Reverend Tanya Lopez witnessed the man on the ground surrounded by three armed, masked officers who refused to identify themselves or produce a warrant. The officers identified themselves only as police and prevented Lopez from questioning them or assisting the man. The church subsequently offered multiple worship options including in-person, Facebook Live, and Zoom services for concerned parishioners.

ICE conducted raids at the Ambiance Apparel warehouse in Los Angeles's Fashion District, detaining approximately two dozen workers on alleged administrative immigration violations. Families of the detained individuals report difficulty making contact with their loved ones and locating where they are being held, with some detainees reportedly already deported. About a dozen of those taken were from Veracruz, Mexico, and attorneys working with the families say access to detainees has been extremely limited.

CNN reporter Jason Carroll and his crew were escorted away from a protest zone in downtown Los Angeles and briefly detained by LAPD while covering the anti-ICE demonstrations. An officer instructed Carroll to place his hands behind his back and told him "You are being detained while you are leaving this area," though Carroll was not placed in restraints. The officer clarified Carroll was "not under arrest because you're press" and took down details from all crew members before releasing them.

Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was shot by a rubber bullet while reporting on the LA protests in Downtown Los Angeles. She was clearly identified as press and was speaking on camera when she was hit, yelling in pain from the impact. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later confirmed she was sore but otherwise unharmed.

A protest near the Santa Ana Federal Building in response to ICE raids began with roughly 100 people in the afternoon and swelled to at least 1,000 by evening. After police declared the rally an unlawful assembly, officers confronted crowds. Several protesters were arrested; some were accused of throwing objects at officers and setting off fireworks.

Nohemi Cruz's husband was detained at Westchester Hand Wash and subsequently deported to Mexico following an immigration raid. Cruz reported that her husband was injured during the raid, denied healthcare and legal representation, and forced to sign his own deportation order before being allowed basic amenities like a shower and a three-minute phone call. The family now faces a processing timeline of eight to ten years to attempt reunification.

Jose, father of two young children, was detained by ICE during a raid at a car wash where he worked. His partner Alma Ramirez received a call informing her of his detention while their children were at school. He is now being held at a detention center in California City with a court date pending.

Federal immigration agents conducted coordinated raids at over 100 car washes and Home Depots across Los Angeles County, detaining nearly 400 workers. The operations involved armed, masked agents who surrounded businesses and chased down workers, resulting in widespread family separations. Some detainees were held at detention facilities pending court dates while others were deported, leaving families without income and caregivers for extended periods.

Federal immigration officials conducted a raid targeting day laborers in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Santa Ana on Monday. A 50-year-old man from Peru was detained after agents arrived and began taking workers into custody, but was released after producing asylum seeker documents. The man said agents pointed guns at the group and took several people into custody in front of the store on MacArthur Boulevard.

Protesters gathered in Los Angeles to demonstrate against ICE raids, with police in riot gear firing flash bangs and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Multiple demonstrators were arrested and loaded onto police buses with zip-tied hands after being warned to disperse near the Arts District and Little Tokyo. President Trump doubled the National Guard deployment to the area, activating an additional 2,000 service members alongside approximately 700 Marines, prompting California to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the deployment.

Cary López Alvarado, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen nine months pregnant, was detained by immigration agents in Hawthorne, California on Sunday. López Alvarado said agents shoved her during the arrest, causing her to lose her balance as she tried to protect her stomach. After her release, she experienced sharp stomach pains and was hospitalized for one day for monitoring. López Alvarado and her cousin Alberto Sandoval, also a U.S. citizen, were doing maintenance work when agents in Border Patrol uniforms arrived in marked CBP vehicles following a white pickup truck carrying two undocumented workers, including her partner Brian Nájera.

Freelance photojournalist Ted Soqui was shot in the back with three rubber bullets in rapid succession by federal officers while covering anti-deportation protests at LA's Federal Building on June 9, 2025. Soqui, who had covered protests throughout his decades-long career, took precautions after being struck with crowd-control munitions the previous day, wearing personal protective equipment and positioning himself 50 to 100 feet from officers and protesters while using a long lens to photograph from afar. The federal officers who shot him were identified as ICE or DHS agents based on department patches visible on their uniforms. The Los Angeles Press Club filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterizing the shooting as a "misuse of militarized weapons" that could cause significant and serious harm.

An unnamed man was detained by ICE on June 9, 2025, at a Home Depot in Huntington Park, California, where he regularly sought work. His family launched a fundraiser to pay for legal representation to challenge the deportation process. The man is described as the sole provider for his family.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted sweeps across Orange County on June 10, 2025, detaining at least a dozen people at a Home Depot on Harbor Boulevard and others at multiple locations including businesses near Warner Avenue and Broadway. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Santa Ana's federal building and civic center in response, and law enforcement deployed pepper spray and tear gas as the demonstration grew and blocked streets. Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said ICE appeared to target day laborers waiting for work.

Jesus Cruz was detained by ICE agents at a Westchester car wash in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025, while employed polishing luxury vehicles. His wife Noemi Ciau was unable to locate him in ICE's online system or receive communication for days after his detention. At least 26 car wash workers were detained across L.A. area locations during immigration raids that week, with advocates reporting difficulty locating detainees held in temporary facilities.

Grammy-winning musician Finneas was tear-gassed while participating in a peaceful protest against ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. He shared his experience on Instagram, criticizing law enforcement's response to the demonstration. The protest was among thousands across the city expressing frustration with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions.

Nick Stern, a 60-year-old British freelance journalist and photographer who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years, was struck by a 40mm less-lethal munition that embedded approximately one inch into his leg while covering ICE raid protests in Los Angeles on June 7, 2025. Despite being clearly identifiable as press with visible credentials and cameras, Stern was hit around 9 p.m. while documenting the demonstrations outside a Home Depot. The projectile created a five-centimeter wound with significant muscle damage, and emergency surgeons treated the injury as they would a rifle gunshot wound. Stern was carried away by protesters and required emergency surgery at a trauma unit to remove the embedded round; an X-ray revealed the bullet had lodged in his leg. He avoided permanent nerve damage but sustained significant trauma. Stern was one of at least 11 journalists targeted by law enforcement during the protests; other reporters were also struck by tear gas, pepper balls, and less-lethal rounds. Status Coup News, where Stern had previously freelanced, filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell alleging excessive force against journalists covering the protests.

Lexis-Olivier Ray, an investigative reporter for LA Taco, was pepper-sprayed on his arm and neck and shoved multiple times by Los Angeles Police Department officers while covering a protest against immigration enforcement actions at the Metropolitan Detention Center on January 30, 2026. Ray was visibly wearing press credentials and a shirt marked 'press' while documenting the demonstration on his cellphone. Department of Homeland Security officers also deployed tear gas and pepper balls at the crowd. Ray reported severe burning from the pepper spray that lasted for hours and said he believed he was struck with a projectile on his backpack. At a protest the next day, he was struck with additional projectiles and threatened with arrest. The actions appeared to violate California law prohibiting law enforcement from using violent tactics against members of the press.

Ben Camacho, a journalist for The Southlander, was shot twice by LA County Sheriff's Department while reporting and photographing at a protest against ICE operations in Paramount. Despite wearing a press pass around his neck, officers struck him without warning with what appeared to be less-lethal munitions. He sustained injuries to his elbow and knee, with his elbow wrapped in gauze and his knee weakened by the impact. The incident occurred during a broader enforcement operation against ICE protests in Los Angeles County, during which multiple journalists covering the event were targeted with tear gas, pepper balls, and less-lethal rounds.

Ryanne Mena, a reporter for LA Daily News and Southern California News Group, was struck by law enforcement while covering ICE raid protests in Los Angeles County over two consecutive days in June 2025. On June 6, she was shot with a pepper ball bullet in her left thigh while reporting on ICE operations. The following day in Paramount, she was struck in the head with a rubber bullet and exposed to tear gas during a law enforcement dispersal of protesters. Mena, who has asthma, experienced difficulty breathing during the incidents and was diagnosed with a concussion. She reported ongoing symptoms including brain fog, headaches, vomiting, and heightened anxiety months later. She sought emergency medical care for her injuries and became a plaintiff in a lawsuit that won a preliminary injunction in California's Central District barring ICE and CBP from brutalizing protesters, legal observers, and members of the press.

Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a journalist and videographer, was covering a protest against ICE raids in Paramount when law enforcement dispersed the crowd. LA County Sheriff's Department deployed tear gas, percussion grenades, and other crowd-control weapons. A tear gas canister struck Beckner-Carmitchel in the head, covering his face with CS agent. He later indicated the canister appeared to have been fired by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, part of ICE. He sought emergency medical care but did not sustain severe injuries.

Miguel Lopez, a Livermore father of three, was detained during a routine ICE check-in in May 2025 and deported to Mexico in June 2025 despite a judge's order to allow him to stay. On March 17, 2026, supporters gathered outside federal court as Lopez awaited a judge's decision on whether his permanent resident status was wrongfully stripped in 2014. Lopez's attorney argues the government never provided valid reason for revoking his residency.

On June 7, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ICE agents conducted enforcement operations in Paramount and Downey, California, with a staging area near a Home Depot store. The operations targeted individuals with active arrest warrants and criminal histories, resulting in at least 44 detentions. Word of the federal presence spread on social media, drawing over 1,000 protesters to the scene. Clashes erupted between federal agents in riot gear and demonstrators, with law enforcement deploying tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and pepper balls after protesters blocked vehicles and threw objects. The incident prompted the Trump administration to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

Miguel Angel Lopez Luvian was deported to Mexico on June 7, 2025, after being detained by ICE in San Francisco during a routine immigration check-in. His wife, Rosa Lopez, contends the deportation was wrongful despite his nearly 30-year legal battle and previous green card grant. The family is now separated, with Rosa struggling financially as the sole provider while fighting through the U.S. District Court to bring her husband back.

A high school senior was detained by federal agents in the San Fernando Valley after taking his dog for a walk and did not return home. A neighbor reported seeing four men in tactical vests standing near unmarked SUVs shortly after his apprehension. As a minor, his detention separated him from his family during the June 2025 enforcement surge.

A food vendor was detained by federal immigration agents in Ladera Heights after clinging to a tree in an attempt to avoid apprehension. She was arrested while still wearing her work apron. Her case exemplified the public nature of enforcement operations during the June 2025 raids across Los Angeles County.

A 52-year-old day laborer died after being struck by an SUV on the freeway while attempting to flee a federal immigration raid at a Home Depot in Monrovia. He worked to support his wife and four daughters. His death was one of the immediate casualties of the June 2025 mass deportation campaign launched across Los Angeles County.

On June 6, 2024, federal immigration agents conducted a raid on Ambiance Apparel, a garment factory in downtown Los Angeles, arresting over 40 workers, many from Zapotec Indigenous communities. The operation separated families and triggered legal challenges and advocacy organizing. One year later, affected workers and families continue to face economic hardship, emotional trauma, and pending immigration proceedings. Advocates including Lucha Zapoteca secured the release of 11 of 14 initially detained family members and raised over $300,000 in support, though some workers remain in federal custody and others have been deported.

Mario and more than 40 other workers, many from Zapotec Indigenous communities, were detained during an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel on June 6, 2025. A year later, some workers have been deported while others remain in immigration proceedings, with families facing ongoing economic hardship and trauma. Mario's daughter Yurien and other family members continue to struggle with the lasting consequences of the enforcement action.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several day laborers at a Home Depot parking lot in the Westlake District of Los Angeles on Friday morning. Video from the scene showed Homeland Security Investigations officials handcuffing people near 6th Street and Burlington Avenue, with witnesses describing workers running from the area after spotting federal agents. ICE stated the operation was part of routine enforcement activities but declined to confirm the number of people detained.