Human Impact Project

ICE agents carried out a raid early Wednesday morning at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Alderman Street off Palm Beach Boulevard in Lee County, Florida, detaining dozens of people using masked agents, armored vehicles and machine guns. Resident Ana Hernandez said neighbors live in fear of being stopped for being undocumented, while witness Hillary Hogue described the arrests as targeting hardworking people, not criminals. ICE released images of five men with prior arrests taken into custody but has not disclosed the total number detained, and immigration attorney Indera DeMine said courts in Miami are experiencing "mass chaos" from the surge in cases.

Julio Borrell, a 72-year-old Cuban mechanic who arrived in Florida during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, was arrested during a routine immigration check-in last December after 46 years of never missing an appointment. He was held about four months at the Florida detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz," transferred to a processing site in Eloy, Arizona, and then bused nearly two days to Tapachula, Mexico — a city he said he had never heard of, more than 1,100 miles from the nearest U.S. border crossing. Now surviving by patching tires on the street and saving for a room to rent, Borrell is the father of seven U.S.-born children, eleven grandchildren and a great-grandchild whom he can only reach by borrowed phone; he told his daughter, "I won't die in Tapachula." His case is part of a broader U.S. practice, tied to Mexico's Interior Repatriation Programme, of flying deportees far from the border into remote interior cities like Tapachula and Villahermosa.

Miguel Sanchez-Clemente, 40, was arrested by the Bay County Sheriff's Office on August 25 after a traffic stop for a suspended registration revealed he was in the country without legal status. During the stop, deputies also found two minors in the vehicle who were undocumented and worked for Sanchez-Clemente. Investigators say Sanchez-Clemente admitted to an ongoing sexual relationship with one of the minors and was charged with sexual battery. He was placed on an ICE detainer following his arrest.

Lesli Marili Samayoa, 26, was livestreaming on Facebook while driving to work in Fort Myers, Florida, to alert her community about an ICE operation when agents and Florida Highway Patrol officers surrounded her truck. Video shows agents smashing her car window, pulling her out by the hair, throwing her to the ground, and pressing their knees against her neck; the livestream cut off abruptly and became her last Facebook post. She was booked into Lee County Jail on two counts of resisting an officer, not an immigration charge, with bond set at $3,000, and was held for nine days until September 3, during which she said she lost about 16 pounds. ICE agents in Florida operate alongside local and state law enforcement under the 287(g) program, which has reportedly been used against people documenting ICE activity. She told N+ Univision, "I feel like I can't trust anyone, I feel abandoned, I feel like I can't call 911. I have anxiety, I don't want to go out; I'm terrified to go outside."

A 36-year-old asylum seeker from Haiti who fled the country in 2017 after receiving death threats was arrested by local police in Key West and turned over to ICE. He worked as a cook and supervisor at the Half Shell Raw Bar and was described by his manager, Bobby Kuchinsky, as "an excellent worker" and "a family man" who was the main provider for his family. Kuchinsky declined to identify him publicly out of concern for his safety while in ICE custody.

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, a Nicaraguan handyman who has lived in Key West, Florida for about 19 years, was detained by Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop while driving to drop his car off at a mechanic near a Publix supermarket. Family members said he holds a work permit, Social Security card, and driver's license, has a pending asylum application, and has no criminal record. His son, Navy sailor Joshua Aviles, was more than nine months into a deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East and called his father a 'hardworking, humble man,' describing the arrest as heartbreaking. His wife, Argelia Aviles, said, 'He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father,' while his stepdaughter said her half-brother struggled to sleep and eat afterward. DHS said having a family member in the military does not confer legal status or immunity from enforcement. An immigration judge dismissed the case against Aviles days later, and he was released from custody, with his family thanking supporters and asking for privacy. His case is among dozens identified nationally involving parents and spouses of active-duty troops.

Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her 19-year-old daughter Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, Ecuadorian nationals who fled Ecuador three years earlier due to death threats, were detained after being treated for injuries from an Aug. 20 crash at HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital near Kissimmee. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies, working under a 287(g) agreement with ICE, ran a database check during the crash investigation and said it showed the women had overstayed their visas, leading ICE to confirm civil immigration warrants and lodge detainers. Grace, still sedated and in a cervical collar, was handcuffed at her bedside, while Giulianna, who has epilepsy, suffered a seizure and was handcuffed in her hospital gown and led out in front of other patients and staff. Family members said agents did not identify themselves or produce a warrant, and a relative's GoFundMe and the family's attorney said both women had pending asylum claims, valid work permits, and a visa valid until 2030, though authorities said neither had a criminal history and no state charges were filed. Cellphone video of the arrests circulated widely, prompting protests and a press conference from local immigrant advocates, while Sheriff Grady Judd defended how deputies handled the situation. Fearing for her daughter's health in detention, Grace signed voluntary departure paperwork, and the pair returned to Quito, Ecuador.

Noe Lux Castro, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national whom ICE said entered the United States without authorization, was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol troopers and ICE agents during a multiagency enforcement sweep in the Fort Myers area in August 2026. Authorities said Castro grabbed a trooper's Taser during the arrest and attempted to use it against the officer. He was charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and resisting an officer without violence. His arrest came amid a broader Southwest Florida operation in which ICE reported roughly 500 arrests since August 24, including people suspected of murder, child abuse, and cartel activity. One report noted a discrepancy between his listed age of 24 and a photo caption listing him as 28, which has not been resolved.

A detainee at the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade County reported that $5,382 belonging to him disappeared while staff were preparing his deportation paperwork. Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies say surveillance footage showed Matthew Christian Torres, a 31-year-old security guard employed by contractor Akima Protective Services who lives in Palmetto Bay, placing the cash in a log book without recording it, then concealing it in his jacket, hiding in an employee bathroom, and later moving it to his cargo pants without ever alerting a supervisor. Torres was arrested on a charge of third-degree grand theft and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond set at $2,500. ICE said it takes allegations of staff misconduct seriously and would investigate the complaint.

Herlandez Wadner Juste Mondesir, a Haitian man, was detained by ICE agents at Tavern N Town inside the Marriott Beachside Hotel in Key West, Florida. A bystander recorded video of the arrest in the hotel lobby, during which an agent can be heard warning Mondesir, "If you keep fighting we're going to get into a real fight." Mondesir had an asylum case scheduled for October of this year at the time of his detention.

Degnis Nelson Bofill Miranda, a 39-year-old Cuban-born percussionist, composer, and founder of the group Golpes Libres, was detained by ICE agents at Miami International Airport on August 19 immediately after returning from performances and a music conference in New York. He entered the U.S. legally in April 2023 through a State Department-backed music exchange visa program and has a pending asylum petition that had not yet reached its initial interview stage. His wife, Mara Delgado, said agents were waiting for him at the arrival gate and that he was initially not listed in ICE's detainee locator, complicating efforts to secure legal representation, before he was moved to the Krome North Service Processing Center. ICE said he had not complied with the terms of his 2023 admission but would receive due process, while Delgado said she fears he will be deported to Cuba and separated from her. Delgado described him as a beloved figure in Miami's Cuban music community who teaches local workshops, and fellow musicians publicly voiced support for him. A GoFundMe campaign for his legal defense raised more than $45,000 from over 500 donors within two days.

A young mother in Miami is caring alone for her one-year-old twin daughters after her husband was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The family is now facing unexpected expenses for housing, food, diapers, formula, childcare, transportation, and legal assistance related to his immigration case. A GoFundMe campaign was created to help support the mother and her daughters during this time.

A close family friend, described as a father of two, uncle, and brother, was arrested by ICE. According to the organizer, he had worked and paid taxes in the U.S. for years without incident. The family started a fundraiser to help cover future costs related to his detention, citing uncertainty over his timeline in the detention facility.

A Black man with no connection to an ongoing traffic stop was questioned and handcuffed by a US Border Patrol agent at an Orion gas station in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. Video shows the agent demanding his identification and telling him it was 'because you're an immigrant' before officers forced his arms behind his back and restrained him. He was released minutes later after a status check cleared him. A second man who appeared Latino was seized shortly afterward, and an older man filming the encounter was ordered to move away from the scene.

Carlos Rodríguez López, a 35-year-old Cuban man who had been living in Miami Gardens with his wife, was deported after being held in ICE custody since April 2025. He was among six deportees — including three other Cuban men, a Brazilian man and a Cameroonian woman — who refused to leave an Aug. 20, 2026 flight that departed Louisiana, stopped in Dakar, Senegal, and landed in Liberia, the first deportation flight under a new U.S.-Liberia agreement allowing up to 1,200 such transfers over a year. Officers handcuffed and forcibly removed the group before the plane continued to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where advocates say the roughly 40 detainees held at a hotel there have had meals withheld and faced physical abuse by guards, and one of the Cuban men requires regular care for a colostomy bag with no medical staff on site. His wife, Igrayne Ribot, said she learned of his location only through a brief video call, breaking down when he told her he was in Africa.

Leonardo Sánchez Fernández, a 49-year-old Cuban lawful permanent U.S. resident from San Miguel del Padrón who had lived in Lehigh Acres, Florida, was deported by ICE to Equatorial Guinea under a third-country agreement despite holding valid residency until 2030. He had been detained by ICE at a gas station after a drug possession arrest and completing community service, then held at the Alligator Alcatraz facility before being flown for more than 36 hours from Alexandria, Louisiana without being told his destination. During a stopover in Liberia, witnesses said guards shoved him and he fell face-first onto the tarmac, aggravating a preexisting abdominal hernia and intestinal damage from an old stabbing injury and prior surgery. He is now hospitalized in Malabo receiving IV fluids without a passport, documents, consular assistance, toothbrush, or clothes, and may miss a scheduled surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital. His mother Caridad and sister Dorty, in Lehigh Acres, learned of his location after seeing a video posted from Equatorial Guinea and have been trying to secure his release.

According to a viral social media post, ICE agents in the Pine Manor neighborhood of Fort Myers, Florida, grabbed several women, forced them onto pavement and against parked cars, and continued restraining them while a child stood nearby. The post claims agents threatened to shoot the women during the confrontation. The claims have not been independently verified by news sources.

Felipe was detained by ICE and is currently in custody, according to a GoFundMe campaign started by his wife. Felipe is described as the main provider for his household, and his family is beginning legal proceedings to fight for his return home. The family is raising funds to cover legal expenses and Felipe's basic needs during the immigration process.

Emmanuel Nelson, 18, a senior linebacker for Port St. Lucie High School's football and wrestling teams, was pulled over for driving 45 mph in a 20 mph school zone and is still in ICE custody more than a week later. Police found he was not a U.S. citizen and contacted ICE, which placed a detainer on him; he was first held at the St. Lucie County Jail and is now at the Broward Transitional Center. ICE says Nelson entered the U.S. legally in January 2016 but violated the terms of his admission, while his family says he came through the Haitian Family Reunification Program and has a pending residency petition from a U.S. citizen step-parent, and had held a valid work permit, Social Security number and driver's license. His coach and teammates have said they hope to welcome him back to the team.

Maria Del Carmen Negrete Raya, 39, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer after an encounter with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in Fort Myers, Florida. Authorities said ICE officers attempted to stop a vehicle registered to a non-U.S. citizen, and after the occupants fled, Negrete Raya confronted the officers, with one officer suffering minor injuries. Records show Negrete Raya entered the United States without inspection and filed an asylum application in 2023, and officials said she remains subject to removal proceedings. State prosecutors plan to seek reclassification of the charges as second-degree felonies based on her immigration status.