Human Impact Project

Henry Morales Hernandez, 55, a former Venezuelan army major who fled the Maduro government and sought asylum in the United States, was detained by ICE following a traffic stop in Collier County, Florida in April 2026. He was charged with driving under the influence, but prosecutors dropped the charge after determining insufficient evidence—breath tests showed blood alcohol levels of 0.036 and 0.037, below Florida's legal limit of 0.08. Despite the criminal case dismissal, ICE lodged a detainer and took him into custody on May 1, 2026. An immigration judge denied his bond request in May, relying on the arrest report despite the DUI charge being dismissed. Morales Hernandez holds an active asylum case in immigration court and previously held Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, though the Trump administration moved to terminate that program in 2025.

A 21-year-old man from Nicaragua was pulled over by Wildwood Police for driving a vehicle with a tinted windshield. During the traffic stop, he admitted to never obtaining a U.S. driver's license and stated he had been in the United States for approximately two years and four months. He was arrested for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center, where ICE placed a hold on him for transfer to their custody.

Jefferson David Fuentes Martinez, a native and citizen of Honduras who entered the U.S. in 2024 at age 17 and is seeking asylum, was arrested for driving without a valid license. Although he was set to be released on April 27, 2026, he remains detained at Volusia County Jail pursuant to an ICE detainer. The court granted a temporary restraining order preventing his transfer from the facility.

A federal judge in Florida ordered the immediate release of Alejandro Osvaldo Ghysels Reales, who had been detained by ICE despite holding deferred action status under a U-1 nonimmigrant visa, which makes him ineligible for deportation. Judge Kyle Dudek ruled that ICE's detention was unlawful and violated Reales' constitutional rights, criticizing the government for failing to recognize his valid legal protection.

Juan Marcos Carly, 36, was detained by ICE on April 23, 2026, at 7:00 AM while traveling on Interstate 4. His wife, Roselyn Arteaga, launched fundraising efforts on social media to raise money for his bail bond. The family arrived in the United States in 2018 and has two young children, ages 3 and 1. They have a court hearing scheduled for 2028.

Ray Barraez, a 50-year-old Venezuelan Uber driver, died of a heart attack during a traffic stop in Seminole County, Florida after being stopped for a broken license plate light. According to his wife's account, Barraez had hypertension and was in an open asylum process; fear of detention by immigration authorities contributed to the cardiac event that caused his death.

Carlos Bejarano was detained by ICE on April 22, 2026, in Kissimmee, Florida. Described as a hardworking father and family provider, his detention has left his family struggling financially. His family is seeking donations and financial support to cover legal expenses and basic needs while he faces immigration proceedings.

Walter Marcelino Chao was deported by the U.S. government to Lima, Peru, resulting in separation from his young daughter Ashley, who no longer recognizes him. The child, who had lived with her father in Miami Gardens, now refuses to acknowledge him during video calls and has become withdrawn. The family was unable to prevent the deportation despite pleas to authorities.

Francisco Salazar-Salazar was booked on drug possession charges (cannabis marijuana not more than 20 grams) and failure to appear charges. An ICE hold was placed on him during the booking.

Louis Duxbury, a Gadsden County resident from the United Kingdom, was ordered deported after spending months in ICE custody. He was arrested for overstaying his visa following a social media investigation that did not result in criminal charges. The case comes amid a surge in immigration arrests across Florida, with over 36,000 arrests reported since the start of 2025.

Gabriela Lozano Sousa, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. legally in 2023 through a humanitarian parole program, married U.S. citizen Brandon Garrison in April 2025, believing it would put her on a path to legal residency. In October 2025, a domestic-dispute call brought local police to the scene, who turned her over to federal immigration authorities; no criminal charges resulted. ICE classified her as an 'arriving immigrant,' subjecting her to mandatory detention without a bond hearing, and she was held at a facility in Baker County, Florida. Her attorneys argued the classification was legally incorrect. The couple had filed an I-130 petition on her behalf, under review since November 2025. A federal judge dismissed her immigration case in spring 2026, and she was released after roughly six months in detention, though federal authorities retained 30 days to appeal, leaving her future status uncertain.

A Valencia College student with pending asylum status and legal documents was arrested by ICE while leaving home to go to work. The student had documentation showing their asylum case was in process at the time of detention.

Uber and Lyft drivers in Central Florida report feeling at risk during their work, even those with proper documentation. One female driver was released after being taken into ICE custody in Orlando.

A 34-year-old Indian national was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol on April 16, 2026. He entered the United States on a B-2 visa in March 2016 that expired in May 2019, and he remained in the country without valid immigration status. He is being held at the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Facility, where ICE encountered him and initiated immigration proceedings, with a custody determination to follow the resolution of his state case. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 7.

Venezuelan physician Rubeliz "Bibi" Bolívar and her 5-year-old daughter Milena were detained by ICE while Bolívar was en route to an asylum interview. Bolívar held a valid work permit (EAD) and an approved I-485 employment-based visa petition. The organization Médicos Unidos Venezuela demanded their immediate release. A Venezuelan physician was detained by immigration authorities in Nashville while attending an official asylum appointment. The detention followed an administrative change to his case after it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. He is currently held in custody in Louisiana and has health concerns including hypertension, severe scoliosis, and recent respiratory symptoms. Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, an emergency medicine resident in McAllen, Texas, was detained by ICE at McAllen International Airport on April 11, 2026, while traveling with her five-year-old U.S. citizen daughter to a scheduled asylum interview in California. Dr. Bolivar held a valid work permit and had pending asylum and green card applications. She was released from custody the same night.

A lawyer for two detainees at a Florida immigration detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" said guards beat and pepper-sprayed several detainees on April 2 after they complained about non-functioning phones needed to reach family and attorneys. One detainee was punched, thrown down, kicked and restrained with a knee to the neck, while another detainee not represented by the lawyer had a wrist broken; phone service was restored the next day without explanation. The incident was detailed in a court filing accusing state and federal officials of violating a federal judge's injunction requiring timely, confidential legal phone access, part of a lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations. State officials have denied restricting detainees' access to attorneys.

María Alejandra Rivas Martínez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, was detained by ICE after a traffic accident in Miami. She had legally entered the U.S. in 2019 at age 13 with a tourist visa, holds a valid Florida driver's license and work permit, and has a pending asylum case. A state officer notified ICE after reviewing her identification during the accident report. She is currently held at Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach awaiting immigration court.

ICE detained Rafael Zaga Tawil, a Mexican businessman, at Glades County Detention Center in Florida on April 13, 2026. Mexican authorities are seeking him in connection with a $294 million housing fraud scheme involving the National Workers' Housing Fund Institute (Infonavit), along with allegations of organized crime and money laundering. The fraud involved contracts signed in 2014 with the private company Telra Realty that were terminated in 2017, after which the institute authorized an illegal indemnity payment of over 5 billion pesos. Mexican prosecutors may request his extradition for prosecution.

Alexandre Ramagem, 53, former head of Brazilian intelligence, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 14, 2026, following his flight from Brazil. Ramagem was convicted in September 2024 for his role in a coup conspiracy with former President Jair Bolsonaro, including charges of armed criminal association, attempted coup d'état, and attempted violent abolition of the rule of law, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He had entered the United States using a diplomatic passport and was living in exile in Florida when taken into custody following a traffic stop. Brazilian authorities formally requested his extradition in December 2024, and the arrest resulted from collaboration between U.S. and Brazilian law enforcement. He reportedly has a pending asylum request under review.

Gilbert, an Immokalee high school graduate, was unlawfully detained in LaBelle, Florida. Community members are organizing a support action scheduled for Friday at 8:20 AM.