Human Impact Project

Silverio Villegas González, a 38-year-old line cook from Irimbo, Michoacán, who had lived in the Chicago area for nearly 20 years, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on September 12, 2025, during a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois, shortly after dropping his two young sons off at daycare and school. ICE agents, operating five days into Operation Midway Blitz, targeted him over alleged old traffic violations and positioned their vehicle to block his car; DHS claimed he dragged an agent with his vehicle, but witnesses and video reviewed by reporters showed him driving away before crashing into a tractor-trailer, and body-camera footage later showed the agent describing his injuries as 'nothing major,' contradicting DHS's claim of 'serious injuries.' Policing experts said the agents' tactics violated standard traffic-stop safety protocols. His body was repatriated to Michoacán for a funeral attended by hundreds; his mother and brother have said the family wants justice. His two sons were placed in foster care in Idaho, and relatives, aided by the Mexican Consulate, are seeking reunification. A year later, the FBI has refused to release details of its investigation, including the agent's name, prompting the family, working with the MacArthur Justice Center and National Immigrant Justice Center, to file a federal wrongful death claim on October 8, 2026, alleging ICE agents created an avoidable dangerous confrontation and that DHS and the agency failed to properly train and supervise officers. Federal prosecutors have declined to charge the agent, though the Illinois State Police opened a separate investigation in May 2026 at local police's request.

Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen and teaching assistant, was shot seven times by Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum on October 4, 2025, in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood during Operation Midway Blitz. Prosecutors initially alleged Martinez and co-defendant Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz rammed an agent's vehicle, charging her with assaulting a federal officer and calling her a 'domestic terrorist.' Martinez's attorneys disputed the account, citing body camera footage of an agent telling her to 'do something' before shooting and a bullet trajectory analysis showing Exum fired from behind her vehicle. She was arrested by the FBI while still bleeding in the hospital, and a judge ordered her release two days later. Federal prosecutors dismissed all charges in November after text messages surfaced showing Exum bragging, 'I fired 5 shots and she had 7 holes,' and a federal judge ruled the agents' use of force 'shocks the conscience.' The dismissal is among at least nine protest-related cases tied to the operation that prosecutors have dropped. Martinez has since filed a Federal Tort Claims Act lawsuit against the federal government seeking damages.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a U.S. citizen walking to a pharmacy in Evanston, Illinois, to fill a prescription, was tackled and detained by federal agents who mistook him for a fugitive near Dodge Avenue and Howard Street. Witnesses, including Miguel Angel Olivares, recorded video showing agents pinning him down and appearing to strike him as he repeatedly stated he was a citizen. He suffered injuries to his head, neck and teeth, bled at the scene, and was taken by Evanston Fire Department ambulance to St. Francis Hospital for treatment. A paramedic and police officer on scene expressed shock that agents drove away while he lay injured in the street. DHS said the man was uncooperative and declined assistance, while an ICE supervisor told Evanston police that agents left because protesters began gathering; Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss confirmed the detention and release, and local police, eyewitnesses, and the group Sanctuary Evanston disputed DHS's account, calling it a violent assault. Evanston police, Illinois authorities, and the FBI are investigating, reviewing body camera footage and 911 audio.

An Illinois woman caring for a 5-year-old boy whose father had been deported to Mexico became so financially strapped that she lost her housing; she sent the child to sleep at a friend's apartment while she lived in her car. The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights eventually persuaded ICE to transport the boy to his father in Mexico, but first had to send the caregiver $20 in gas money so the child could be handed off.

ICE conducted targeted enforcement operations in Woodstock and Waukegan, Illinois, arresting eight men from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In Waukegan, agents arrested Mario Guadarrama, 31, and Pedro Serrano-Hernandez, 39, both of Mexico; Guadarrama had a prior 2019 arrest by Illinois law enforcement, while Serrano-Hernandez was taken into custody on a 2025 Wisconsin warrant for contempt of court after prior arrests for driving without a license. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said agents 'abducted' one person near 8th Street and Prescott Avenue in Waukegan. In Woodstock, six men were arrested, including Alex Francisco Diaz-Quintanilla, 47, of El Salvador, who had a 2024 weapons conviction; Israel Espinal-Diaz, 48, and Lazaro Cruz-Morales, 43, and Gabriel Martinez-Quintanar, 26, all of Mexico; Daniel Nehemias Martinez-Esteban, 30, of Guatemala; and Jayson Josiel Ruiz-Figueroa, 23, of Honduras. At least one man was detained in the parking lot of Woodstock Automotive Service, and all six remain in custody pending removal proceedings at facilities in Indiana. A separate, unrelated federal drug trafficking warrant was served at the same Woodstock location hours later by DEA, Illinois State Police, FBI and local agencies.

Christina Pérez, a DACA recipient who has lived in the United States for 37 years, was detained by ICE on February 22 while walking to her car, in the midst of renewing her deferred action protection. She was transferred first to a facility in Broadview, Illinois, and later to a jail in Kentucky, where she was held alongside both immigration detainees and people facing criminal charges. When she was detained her son was 10 months old, and after seven months in custody he did not recognize her when she returned home. Pérez was eventually released after filing Form 42B, an application for cancellation of removal and adjustment of status, and said she wants other families in similar situations not to give up and to seek legal counsel quickly.

Demonstrators have repeatedly clashed with federal agents outside the ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, over several consecutive weeks, protesting detention conditions and showing support for detainees. On September 19, 2025, protesters blocking the facility's driveway were pepper-sprayed, including directly in the face, and an ICE vehicle struck at least one protester who sustained minor injuries; a witnessing attorney described agents as pushing protesters in an 'aggressive and violent manner.' On September 26, agents used pepper balls, tear gas, and baton rounds against more than 100 protesters, taking 11 into custody, with five later facing federal charges. On October 4, agents again deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and other chemical munitions against protesters, journalists, and legal observers, with chemical agents also affecting nearby residents; congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss were arrested. Broadview's mayor sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security citing dangers to residents from chemical agents and blocked emergency access, while lawsuits were filed alleging excessive force and First Amendment violations.

ICE agents surrounded and entered a factory in McCook, Illinois without a warrant, detaining two people. Video from the scene shows an agent tackling a man to the ground inside a restroom and drawing a gun. When workers inside the factory asked agents to produce a warrant, an agent reportedly yelled at them to back off before pushing people aside and removing one of the men.

Josue Isai Pire-Hidalgo, a 31-year-old custodian at Farnsworth Elementary School in Chicago Public Schools, was detained by ICE on July 17 during what he believed was a routine immigration appointment tied to his family's asylum case. Pire-Hidalgo, a Venezuelan national with Temporary Protected Status and a pending asylum application, has no criminal record. His wife, Yulexis Padilla Julio, and their two children, ages 13 and 6, were detained alongside him but released; his wife was fitted with an ankle monitor and continued advocating for his release. Their 6-year-old daughter has asthma requiring daily medication, and Pire-Hidalgo has hearing loss in both ears and relies on hearing aids. He was held at a jail in Clay County, Indiana, describing the conditions as difficult, while the school community and SEIU Local 73 organized support including a GoFundMe that raised nearly $15,000 and meal trains for the family. After 42 days in ICE custody, he was released and reunited with his family.

Federal immigration officers pinned a pickup truck on Interstate 55 before chasing and detaining a man, who was then taken into custody in the McKinley Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side, according to Ald. Julia Ramirez. Illinois State Police confirmed a two-vehicle crash involving ICE agents near the I-55 northbound ramp to Damen Avenue, with no injuries reported. A reporter heard an ICE officer tell protesters the man had a prior DUI. About a dozen federal vehicles arrived on South Wolcott Avenue, drawing a crowd of residents who shouted for agents to leave and remained at the scene for hours.

Omar David Panqueva, a Colombian DJ known as DJ Tunjo, and his husband Santiago Páez were arrested by ICE agents at Chicago's Midway International Airport as they prepared to fly out and join reggaeton star Karol G's tour for DJ after-parties. The couple, both members of the LGBTQ+ community, had applied for asylum due to persecution they faced in Colombia and held work permits while their case was pending, though their visas had expired in 2022. Panqueva had recently performed at Chicago's Fiesta del Sol and the Sueños music festival and was planning a tour to Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. He described being 'chained, handcuffed on a bus with bars' during the arrest. The couple was held in Indiana and released on bond on August 12 after supporters rallied around them, with their immigration case continuing in court and a hearing scheduled for August 19.

Two U.S. citizens were physically assaulted by ICE agents in the Bensenville suburb of Chicago, Illinois while observing and filming an immigration enforcement action. One woman said she repeatedly told agents she was a U.S. citizen, but they yanked her to the ground while trying to grab her phone and then shot her with a taser. A second U.S. citizen was taken by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition, with a witness saying he had been hit repeatedly.

Federal agents from CBP, ICE, FBI, and ATF conducted a predawn, military-style raid on an apartment building at 7500 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago as part of 'Operation Midway Blitz' on September 30. Agents rappelled from helicopters, kicked down doors, and used flash bang grenades, detaining dozens of residents including children who were zip-tied and left without clothing; four of the detained children are U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, and other U.S. citizens were held for hours. Officials said the operation targeted individuals allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, which the government has designated a terrorist organization, and involved in drug trafficking and weapons crimes. A ProPublica investigation found many of those arrested had no criminal records, and the government provided no evidence tying them to terrorism or gang membership, with no criminal charges filed against any of the 37 people detained. Residents reported missing belongings and property damage, and by May 2026 seventeen detainees had filed tort claims seeking roughly $85 million in damages.

Federal immigration enforcement agents conducted raids in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood and Cicero on Wednesday, resulting in at least seven detentions including U.S. citizens and staff members of a city alderman. A crash occurred near Cermak Fresh Market involving a civilian vehicle and agents, followed by a tense standoff between federal agents and community members. DHS reported three undocumented immigrants were detained and six U.S. citizens were arrested for impeding and threatening federal agents.

ICE agents in unmarked vehicles chased a red car in Chicago's Dunning neighborhood, with one SUV striking the vehicle from behind. The car subsequently crashed into a tree. ICE agents detained an older man at the scene after the collision.

Darren Eichler, a U.S. citizen working at Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois, was pepper-balled and detained by immigration agents on October 7, 2025, after he and coworker Daniel Greer moved to help a man wading in the nearby Des Plaines River, not realizing the man was fleeing agents, and may have thought he was suicidal. When the men refused agents access to a locked gate and began filming, agents cut the padlock with bolt cutters, sprayed them with chemical agents, and tackled or arrested them. Eichler said his face felt like it was on fire and he developed chest pains and breathing difficulty, pleading for about an hour before agents took him to Rush Oak Park Hospital, where he remained handcuffed until a nurse intervened; agents held his phone and wallet until the next day. Neither Eichler nor Greer was charged, but both say they required follow-up medical care and counseling. In 2026, Eichler filed a Federal Tort Claims Act claim, reportedly seeking $1 million, as part of a coordinated ACLU-led effort involving 54 to 56 people across 17 states. "My story is not just about what happened to me," Eichler said. "It's about the kind of country we choose to be. No one should lose their dignity the moment they come face to face with those who hold power."

Adrián was detained by masked immigration agents outside his Chicago home on the morning of July 24 as he prepared to leave for the day, while his wife and children watched. According to his neighbor Sánchez, an immigration assistant who filmed the incident, agents emerged from several black vans, chased Adrián as he tried to return to his house, and subdued him on the ground with approximately six officers. During the detention, Adrián called out to his wife that he loved her and asked her to care for their children. Sánchez said one agent struck Adrián on the legs and another threatened him with an electronic device; when she asked whether agents had an arrest warrant, they said yes but did not show it. She said she was insulted while recording, and after roughly 15 minutes Adrián was transported to a processing center in Indiana.

Airida Gould, a Lithuanian national and licensed massage therapist who has lived in the United States for 26 years, was detained by ICE on May 16, 2026, during a green card interview at which USCIS had just approved her marriage petition. Gould is married to U.S. Army veteran Mark Gould and has three U.S.-born adult children. ICE officers handcuffed and detained her based on a 2009 removal order issued after she missed a court hearing due to road construction; DHS says she entered the U.S. in June 2000 on a visa valid until December 2009 and was ordered removed after overstaying it, adding that approval of a marriage-based petition does not confer immigration status. During her 66 days in ICE custody, Gould was held at multiple facilities including Broadview, Illinois, Brazil, Indiana, and Kentucky, and described conditions at the Brazil facility as extremely poor. Her legal team, led by former immigration court Judge Carla Espinoza Grcic, filed an Emergency Motion to Reopen with the Board of Immigration Appeals, but Gould was deported on July 21, 2026, flying from Chicago O'Hare to Warsaw, Poland; Mark Gould said ICE allowed him to drop off cash, cards and a bag for her but denied his request to see her or say goodbye.

José Gregorio González, a 43-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, traveled to the United States to donate a kidney to his brother José Alfredo Pacheco, who has end-stage renal disease. González was arrested in March 2025 after accompanying his brother to a dialysis appointment, despite having no criminal record and a deportation order on file. ICE temporarily released him in April 2025 to proceed with the kidney donation. The transplant occurred in August 2025. González's one-year humanitarian parole expired in March 2026, and his attorney was seeking an extension to allow him to remain in the country through March 2027 for post-transplant medical monitoring. On July 21, 2026, González was detained by ICE during a routine immigration check-in while the parole extension was being pursued. Pacheco has experienced complications since the transplant and relies on González for care.

On June 17, 2026, ICE agents detained a man, a woman, and a child at the Bridgeview branch courthouse in Illinois after the adults had appeared in court on misdemeanor retail theft cases. Video showed agents struggling with the man on the ground as onlookers asked whether they had a warrant, before handcuffing and removing him; ICE claimed to have an arrest warrant but never presented it for inspection. The woman and child were detained earlier that morning as they tried to enter the courthouse. A person in a Cook County sheriff's office uniform was seen greeting an immigration agent and assisting as the man was placed into a vehicle. State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid and other lawmakers said the detentions violated Illinois law and a Cook County court order barring civil immigration arrests at courthouses without judicial warrants, and sent letters demanding answers from Sheriff Tom Dart.