Human Impact Project

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted coordinated raids in Los Angeles's Fashion District on June 6, 2025, detaining more than 40 undocumented immigrants, including over 20 workers at a Korean-owned wholesale clothing business. Following the raids, some Korean American merchants closed their stores and protests occurred throughout the city. Business activity in the area was affected, with some workers departing and customers avoiding the location.

A 50-year-old El Salvador citizen who has lived in the U.S. for approximately 20 years was detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in North Hills, California on June 3, 2025. ICE agents pulled over his vehicle, asked for documentation, and took him into custody after he could not establish lawful immigration status. The court granted a temporary restraining order requiring his immediate release from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where he had been held for over 10 months.

In the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, agents returned to the Home Depot where they had detained dozens of day laborers earlier that month. Community observers recorded as agents detained two people; a masked agent aimed a handgun at close range; another sprayed a chemical irritant; and an agent jumped into an unmarked SUV as it began rolling forward after agents apparently had forgotten to put it in park.

In Oceanside, California, the Robles Ortega family was woken up by armed agents breaking their windows, deploying flashbangs, and sending a drone inside. Both parents were detained and the 17-year-old U.S. citizen son and 14-year-old daughter were taken out in handcuffs and only released after neighbors intervened in the driveway to remind agents they were minors and verify their citizenship.

In Huntington Park, California, federal agents set off an explosive device outside Jenny Ramirez's home, blowing off the front door and shattering a window while she and her 1-year-old and 6-year-old children were inside. Ramirez said agents gave no warning, that everyone who lived in the home was a U.S. citizen, and that she told them: 'You guys didn't have to do this, you scared my son, my baby.'

Jesús, a 10-year employee at Westchester Hand Wash and primary breadwinner for his family, was arrested during ICE raids in Los Angeles in June 2025 and detained in El Paso. Immigration agents pressured him to sign documents without his glasses, and he unknowingly waived his right to remain in the U.S. He was deported to Mexico, leaving behind his wife Noémi and their four U.S. citizen children—Dhelainy (16), Esther (15), Angel (11), and Gabriel (6)—in Inglewood. The family has submitted a green card petition, but the application is backlogged and could take six years or longer to process, leaving the family separated as the children continue their education and activities in California.

Alberto Perdomo was detained on June 1, 2025, by immigration agents in Riverside while on his way to work. He is currently held at Adelanto Detention Center. Perdomo, the sole provider for his wife and four young children, was taken into custody following a traffic stop. Multiple plaintiffs, including named detainees and immigrant advocacy organizations, filed a class-action lawsuit against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials challenging the detention and recent enforcement sweeps.

Undocumented day laborers who volunteered to clear toxic fire debris in Altadena and Pasadena after the January 2025 Eaton wildfire were arrested in June 2025 ICE sweeps. Workers cleared roads and distributed water to fire victims without pay. ICE enforcement operations targeted job sites, Home Depot parking lots, and street vendors in wildfire-affected and recovery-zone neighborhoods. ICE arrested over 2,200 people in LA in June 2025 alone.

An immigration judge dismissed the deportation case against Narciso Barranco, a Mexican landscaper arrested in Southern California in June 2025 during a Trump administration immigration crackdown. Barranco, who came to the U.S. in the 1990s without legal status, is now eligible for legal permanent residency based on evidence that he is the father of three U.S.-born sons serving in the military. The Department of Homeland Security announced it would appeal the judge's decision.

Homeland Security Investigations agents raided two locations of Buona Forchetta restaurant in San Diego's South Park neighborhood on Friday evening, deploying flash bang grenades and detaining multiple employees. According to the restaurant manager, at least four workers were detained during the operation. Community members gathered outside to protest, and San Diego Police were called to assist with crowd control, though they did not participate in the enforcement action.

A Honduran mother and her two children, ages 6 and 9, were arrested by ICE agents at Los Angeles Immigration Court on May 29, 2025, as they left a courtroom. The 6-year-old boy has leukemia and missed a medical appointment for worsening symptoms. The family was transported to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas and placed in expedited removal proceedings. Their attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the arrests as violations of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

Federal immigration authorities deported a 9-year-old Torrance Elementary School student and his 50-year-old father to Honduras after they appeared for a routine immigration hearing on May 29, 2025. Both were undocumented, and an immigration judge had ordered their deportation in September 2022, though they remained in the United States and appealed. The boy had attended the school since first grade. The boy stated he was unhappy about separation from his friends and remaining family members in California.

A Watsonville resident was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at approximately noon on Tuesday, May 28, 2025, according to Your Allied Rapid Response Santa Cruz County. The advocacy group confirmed the arrest appeared to target one individual rather than being part of a sweep or raid. The detainee is expected to be held until brought to immigration court to determine deportation eligibility.

Miguel Angel López, a Livermore father deported to Mexico in June 2025, lost a federal court case on a statute of limitations technicality in April 2026. López, who lived in the U.S. for 27 years and worked as a welder, was detained during a routine immigration check-in and deported hours before a court order could have allowed him to stay. His family is pursuing an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court, with support from U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, as a final legal pathway for López's return.

At least eight people were arrested by ICE agents as they left San Diego's immigration court on Thursday. ICE agents waited in hallways and arrested people after their hearings. The tactic has also occurred in New York City, Miami, and Seattle. Immigration lawyers stated the practice discourages people from attending their court hearings.

Carlos De La Garza, a 55-year-old Berkeley resident and green card holder, was arrested in December at the end of a routine appointment related to his green card application by ICE officer Nolan De Long, who had been on the job for less than a month. De La Garza was wrongfully detained due to paperwork errors made by De Long. After De La Garza challenged his detention in federal court, government attorneys dropped their opposition to his release upon discovering the case relied on the officer's misrepresentations. De Long apologized for the errors.

Viktoriia Bulavina, a Ukrainian immigrant married to a U.S. citizen and applying for permanent residency, was arrested by ICE immediately after a green card interview in downtown San Diego. She was detained for three days in poor conditions, including an open toilet in view of guards, expired food, and denial of medication. Federal immigration officials released her after media coverage and attorney intervention.

A small panga-style boat carrying migrants capsized off Torrey Pines State Beach near San Diego, killing four people including a 14-year-old boy and resulting in a 10-year-old girl missing at sea. The children's father is in a coma and their mother remains hospitalized. Five Mexican citizens have been charged with human smuggling resulting in death and other related crimes.

Patricia Vázquez Topete, a DACA recipient who had lived in California for 20 years, self-deported to Mexico in May 2025. She cited legal uncertainty surrounding DACA's future, immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, the inability to travel safely using Advance Parole, and lack of a permanent legal status pathway as factors in her decision. Vázquez Topete sold her belongings and left the U.S. to pursue a master's degree in Spain while reconnecting with family in Mexico.

ICE agents apprehended a man at a Sinclair gas station in Oxnard, California on May 4, leaving two children in his vehicle. A gas station attendant witnessed the arrest and reported that the children remained in the truck after the father was taken into custody. DHS stated that the man's 19-year-old son took possession of the vehicle and that ICE offered to relocate it, though advocacy groups contend the children were left unattended.

A 23-year-old woman was detained at a Border Patrol checkpoint on State Route 94 near Dulzura and charged with assaulting a federal officer after agents accused her of pushing an agent and throwing a punch. Body camera footage revealed agents had falsely told her they found "deleted evidence" on her phone, twisted her arm behind her back when she tried to retrieve it, and Tasered her as she turned away to enter a holding cell. The Taser prong struck her breast; her breastmilk was laden with blood for weeks afterward. Federal prosecutors dismissed the charge in August 2025. Her case is one of 10 of 22 assault-on-federal-officer cases dismissed in San Diego during Trump's second term, representing a 45% dismissal rate compared to 8% in Biden's final year.

ICE officers arrested dozens of delivery and rideshare drivers at the gates of Camp Pendleton military base in California as part of an "interagency security initiative" launched in May 2025. Many of those detained had temporary permission to work in the U.S. and were employed by apps like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and GrubHub. Federal judges have repeatedly found the detentions violated due process, yet the base and ICE continue the practice.

Alfredo Linares, an undocumented immigrant, and his American wife Raegan Kline relocated to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after 20 years in the United States. Linares had worked as a cook at a Michelin-star restaurant and operated a catering business with his wife. The couple left the United States due to concerns about ICE detention and deportation under President Trump's immigration enforcement policies.

A U.S. citizen was detained by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents near Marts Donuts on W. El Norte Parkway in Escondido, California on April 25 around 7:40 a.m. Two other individuals with unknown legal status were also detained. The U.S. citizen was later released.

Martín Majín was detained by federal agents outside his barbershop in Pomona on Tuesday, with the arrest captured on security camera video showing agents approaching with weapons. He was released Wednesday after an immigration judge granted his release without bail. Majín, who was deported nearly 20 years ago and returned to the United States unauthorized months later, is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge again on May 29 in Los Angeles court.

Detained immigrants at Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County reported finding worms in their drinking water. Video footage shared by detainees appeared to show contaminated water. Detainees said they were afraid to speak up about conditions to facility staff, fearing retaliation, and instead alerted their families so people outside would know. When staff learned of the situation, they attributed the contamination to sinks. The facility, which holds approximately 2,000 people, had previously faced complaints about murky and dirty water and improperly cooked food.

ICE agents conducted an enforcement operation outside a Home Depot in Pomona, Los Angeles County on the morning of April 22, 2025, detaining between 10 and 20 day laborers. The operation initially targeted one individual with an active arrest warrant and resulted in the detention of additional undocumented migrants. LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis directed the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs to provide support and resources to those detained. Community groups and immigration advocates gathered at the scene to demand information and assist affected workers.

Department of Homeland Security agents attempted to speak with students at two Los Angeles elementary schools (Russell Elementary and Lillian Street Elementary) stating they were conducting welfare checks on unaccompanied minors. School principals denied the agents access. House Democrats have requested a briefing regarding the agents' claim of having parental permission and regarding four of the targeted students who were not unaccompanied minors.

Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez, were charged with accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to allow undocumented people to enter the country without showing documents at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Evidence included phone communications with human traffickers in Mexico, unexplained cash deposits, and surveillance video showing vehicles waved through checkpoints. Investigators seized nearly $70,000 in cash believed to be connected to the scheme. Five corruption cases involving CBP officers in the San Diego area have occurred in two years.

One person was killed and another injured after falling from a 30-foot wall along the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered the two people around 11 p.m. Monday. One person was found unresponsive and died shortly after agents arrived, while the other was hospitalized with unspecified injuries.

Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish national who has legally resided in the United States for approximately 40 years, was detained by ICE after returning from a trip to Ireland where she visited her ill father. Ward, a green card holder, was questioned about criminal convictions from 2003-2008 related to drug possession charges. She claims these convictions were expunged. Ward is being held in an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington, and is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge in Seattle to argue her case.

A Nicaraguan asylum seeker is a citizen and national of Nicaragua who has lived in the United States since September 2021. He is married and living with his wife in California. He fled Nicaragua after police beat him for participating in anti-government protests, fracturing his arm. He was detained by DHS upon arrival in the US but released in October 2021 on reporting requirements to ICE, which he never missed. On September 14, 2023, he applied for asylum and received work authorization. In April 2025, he reported for a routine ICE appointment and was detained without notice or hearing despite full compliance with check-in requirements. He was transferred between multiple detention facilities where he suffered inhumane conditions, including excessive heat in transport vehicles, contaminated food and water, and injury from handcuffs. An immigration judge released him on a $5,000 bond in June 2025, and he was placed in ICE's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. On July 13, 2026, the immigration judge denied his asylum application and ordered removal to Nicaragua. He timely appealed. The federal court granted his preliminary injunction, prohibiting ICE from re-detaining him without a pre-detention hearing where the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is a flight risk or danger.

Gary Patrick McGuiness, a 39-year-old Irish citizen, was arrested by ICE in Los Angeles on April 1. McGuiness is registered as a sex offender and had previously been convicted of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, serving a two-year prison sentence. He remains in ICE custody while his deportation proceeding is underway.

Martin Majin-Leon, a 58-year-old barber shop owner in Pomona, was detained by ICE agents on March 31, 2025, while arriving at his business. He was held in federal custody for over 30 hours before being released on April 2, 2025. The detention was related to an immigration issue from more than 20 years prior. His family discovered his detention through surveillance footage showing him being taken at gunpoint.

Armando Gonzalez, a father and sole household provider, was detained by ICE in Big Bear, California on March 31st. His wife is terminally ill with only days or weeks to live. A community organization is raising funds to help him secure legal representation.

ICE conducted a raid on a paint business in El Cajon on March 27, 2025, arresting Jorge Lopez Leon and approximately 14 other workers. Lopez Leon, a father of four whose wife is a U.S. citizen and who was in the process of obtaining a green card, was detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The operation involved dozens of agents with weapons and resulted in the deportation of at least three workers who chose not to contest their cases in immigration court.

An Instagram post reports that ICE detained a working father in San Diego, leaving behind his family and a two-month-old baby.

At least 15 people were detained this week through targeted arrests conducted by ICE agents in Southern California. The post credits advocacy organizations for their continued support of reporting on immigration enforcement activities.

Julio Vargas, a coconut vendor in El Corredor Salvadoreño, was detained by immigration officers two months prior to the article's publication without a stated reason or warrant. He has since been released and returned to his work selling coconuts at the same location.

Three migrants died during two separate incidents while attempting to cross the southern border near Otay Mountain Wilderness in San Diego County during severe winter weather. The first incident involved an adult woman who made a distress call and was found alive alongside a deceased woman; the second involved a 16-year-old girl who survived and two deceased men, one her father. Both groups had crossed into the U.S. illegally and faced extreme cold, rain, and snow.

Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, a Venezuelan national in unauthorized status, was sentenced to eight months and two days in federal prison on March 16, 2025, for assaulting an ICE deportation officer near Mission Bay in San Diego. Bastardo Llovera pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, admitting he bit an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on the forearm during a deportation operation on July 15, 2025.

Three migrants died in two separate incidents in the Otay Mesa/Otay Mountain Wilderness area near San Diego on March 14, 2025, during a winter storm with near-freezing temperatures. In the first incident, Border Patrol agents found one deceased woman near Cuchama Truck Trail and rescued an adult female who had called for help. In the second incident occurring less than an hour later, agents discovered two deceased men and rescued a 16-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the deceased men. All individuals who crossed the border became lost and experienced hypothermia symptoms in the severe weather conditions.

ImmigrationDefenders reports that parents attempting to reunify with children in federal custody are being arrested and placed into deportation proceedings. The organization represents 12 children in Southern California whose parents were detained shortly after initiating the reunification process, leaving children stranded in shelters.

Yolanda Perez-Magallón, a 50-year-old undocumented immigrant and caregiver for her 21-year-old daughter with cancer, was detained by ICE agents on February 24 as a collateral arrest during an immigration sweep targeting her son Jonathan. She was held for nearly two weeks before being released on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 10.

Javier Hernandez, a cooperating witness prepared to testify in a federal methamphetamine case in California, was deported to Mexico by ICE in March 2025 without notifying prosecutors. The 2015 case involved nearly 22 pounds of methamphetamine discovered in a vehicle; without Hernandez's testimony linking the defendants to the smuggling operation, both co-defendants were acquitted of all charges. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder noted ICE did not consult with Los Angeles prosecutors before removing him from the country.

Nicolas Rodriguez was taken into ICE custody on May 15 and is being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The landscaping business owner, who has lived in the US for over 35 years and has three American citizen children, is facing deportation after ICE reopened his immigration case. He will be ordered this week to either request voluntary departure to Mexico or accept a deportation order.

Activists in Southern California distributed flyers revealing the names, photos, and personal information of ICE and HSI agents, with the flyers written in Spanish and posted in Los Angeles neighborhoods. Federal authorities, including the DHS and FBI, condemned the action and launched an investigation, warning that those responsible could face legal consequences for obstructing law enforcement operations.

Federal agents pepper-sprayed and tackled 80-year-old defense attorney Doug Hayes during a confrontation in Santa Barbara on February 21st. Hayes had approached agents who were detaining a man in his 20s, concerned for the detainee's safety, and was sprayed when he tried to help. Hayes was not arrested or charged and has expressed interest in pursuing legal action against the agents.

Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, who had resided in the United States for 35 years, were arrested and deported to Colombia in February 2025 after being detained by ICE during a routine immigration court check-in in Santa Ana, California. The couple entered without authorization in 1989 and had a 2000 deportation order. They maintained clean criminal records and had complied with regular check-ins throughout their time in the country. They had three U.S. citizen daughters and were involved in church work and volunteering. They were held for three weeks before deportation.

Undocumented day laborers in Los Angeles are preparing to help clear debris and rebuild homes after wildfires. ICE has conducted multiple raids across major U.S. cities and is planning large-scale enforcement operations. Workers like Luis and Jonathan are volunteering to help their communities rebuild while facing potential deportation.