Human Impact Project

Wilmar Quintero, a 50-year-old transgender woman from Venezuela, fled her home country after she said police officers tortured her, carved out her breast implants and left her for dead for speaking out against civil rights abuses. She sought asylum in the United States and was detained for about three months in Michigan, where she said she was sexually assaulted by another migrant and mistreated by staff. Immigration officials deported her to Venezuela in April 2025, where she went into hiding, saying she remains afraid of police there.

On July 25, 2026, ICE agents detained nine undocumented workers installing fiber-optic cables at a construction site near North Center Road and Summit Drive in Saginaw Township, Michigan. Witnesses described the men as hard workers who had been part of the construction crew for months. Plainclothes agents in tactical vests arrived in unmarked vehicles, and the operation lasted approximately 15 minutes; three workers attempted to flee but were quickly apprehended. The workers' vehicles and equipment were left behind at the site. DHS confirmed the arrests on July 28, stating the men would remain in ICE custody pending removal or removal proceedings, but did not disclose their names, ages, nationalities, or detention location. Sources indicated the men may have been taken to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. Community members left handmade signs and flowers at the site in solidarity, and demonstrations followed the arrests.

Luis A. Jamie-Fortin, a 29-year-old Nicaraguan citizen, was arrested by ICE agents on July 25, 2026, during a raid on a construction site in Saginaw Township where he was working on a fiber-optic cable installation project. Jamie-Fortin's presence was flagged to ICE following a July 7 traffic collision in Zilwaukee that he caused while driving without a license or valid documents; Zilwaukee police issued him a citation for the crash, and ICE later used that information to locate and apprehend him at the work site. He was one of nine workers arrested in the operation and is being held pending removal proceedings.

Sanan Atou, 43, was held in solitary confinement for approximately three weeks in January at North Lake Processing Center in Northern Michigan. He says the isolation cell had poor heating, with a vent that did little to warm the corner room with two exterior walls from the former Baldwin prison facility. Atou stated: "I felt like I was going to freeze to death. I didn't know if I was going to wake up." Data shows that as immigration detention has expanded under the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increasingly used solitary confinement, a practice experts say causes mental, physical, and psychological harm.

Luis Jaime-Fortin was involved in a traffic crash in Zilwaukee on July 7, 2026, after allegedly failing to yield. Police reported he could not provide a driver's license, proof of insurance, vehicle registration, or speak English. Zilwaukee Police Chief Jason Wise contacted federal immigration authorities to verify the driver's identity due to lack of documentation, though the chief stated the driver would not be taken into custody for the traffic offense but would receive a citation to appear in court. Jaime-Fortin was later believed to be among the nine workers arrested in the July 25 fiber optic worksite raid in Saginaw Township.

Alejandro Emilio Visbal Mendoza, an asylum-seeker from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was deported to Venezuela and died when the building where deportees were being housed collapsed following devastating earthquakes. His family spent days searching through hospital lists, morgues, and social media after losing contact with him following his deportation flight.

A lawful permanent resident with a valid green card was unexpectedly detained by ICE at an airport in Michigan while returning home from a family vacation. He has lived in the United States since childhood. He is now facing immigration proceedings that could separate him from his home and family. His supporters are fundraising for legal representation to help him fight his case.

A male from El Salvador was detained by ICE agents during a targeted vehicle stop on June 19, 2026, at 303 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. in Lansing. According to DHS, the individual admitted to unauthorized entry in 2020 and had a final judicial order of removal to Guatemala issued June 9, 2026. He is currently in ICE custody at North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan.

An unnamed mother was detained by ICE officers on the morning of June 3, 2026, while dropping her child off at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As of June 6, the school community had raised nearly $5,000 in support. ICE issued no public comment on the arrest.

Jesus Ramirez Ramos was detained by ICE at North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, for nine months. Upon release, he had no way to return to his home in Salina, Kansas, and ICE had lost his cellphone and his clothes remained unwashed in storage. Delight Lester, a 66-year-old volunteer with Hope for Neighbors advocacy group, picked him up and drove him more than 900 miles home in her Toyota Prius, providing him with fresh clothes, snacks, and a phone for the journey.

Karliana Yosdeylin Perdomo-Gotopo, a 20-year-old women's soccer player and business major at Cleary University in Michigan, was detained by ICE on May 26, 2026, during a traffic stop in Lincoln Park. Perdomo entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor in September 2022 at age 15, fleeing political persecution in Venezuela, and graduated high school with honors in Detroit in 2023. She had a pending asylum application and her mother believed she held valid Temporary Protected Status documentation through October 2026, though the Trump administration had previously ended TPS protections for Venezuelan nationals. A witness reported the stop appeared targeted based on her Latina appearance. Perdomo was transferred to North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan.

Gabriel Leiva was detained at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan. He fought with staff who removed him from his pod and requested to be killed while handcuffed and shackled. After being placed in solitary confinement, he covered his cell window, kicked the door, and displayed suicidal behavior. When police responded to a 911 call, he expressed confusion about being in solitary confinement.

John Doe 5, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in his country of origin, had stable mental health while living with family before detention. After being detained at North Lake Processing Center, his mental health sharply declined—a change noted even by the immigration judge assigned to his case. By December 2025, eight months into his detention, he became non-verbal and unresponsive to his surroundings. He was subsequently moved to a dedicated medical facility for additional care, confirming that North Lake was not equipped to handle his needs.

Jane Doe, who has had high blood pressure for 10 years, experienced a medical emergency consistent with a hypertensive crisis after being denied her prescribed blood pressure medication at North Lake Processing Center. When she signaled distress to staff, they mocked her by making hand gestures rather than providing aid. Her blood pressure reached 229/134, well beyond the threshold of a hypertensive emergency, and she was transported to the hospital in shackles. The ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center documented her case as part of a broader investigation into dangerous medical neglect at the facility.

Yerlys Moreno López, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the United States legally in 2024, was injured during an ICE enforcement encounter on May 19 after agents attempted to pull her over near her home on Detroit's eastside. According to her sworn statement and medical records, after crashing her SUV, she exited the vehicle and was tackled to the ground by ICE agents, sustaining a fractured kneecap, lacerations, head trauma, and injuries requiring emergency surgery. Medical records indicate she told hospital staff her injuries occurred after exiting the vehicle, contradicting ICE's account that she was injured in the crash itself. She was transferred to North Lake detention center despite doctors' recommendation for transfer to a Cincinnati ICE facility better equipped to meet her medical needs. Her attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition seeking her immediate release, citing inadequate medical care at the facility.

Sanan Atou, 43, who spent most of his life in Michigan, was deported to Iraq despite not being an Iraqi citizen. The Detroit Free Press reported on his case, highlighting the circumstances of his deportation.

Thi Duy Duc Duong was released from ICE custody in March 2026 by a federal court in Arizona, but was re-detained by ICE on April 27, 2026 when she reported to the Detroit ICE field office for a routine check-in. She was subsequently transferred to facilities in Louisiana and Texas without explanation or allegation of any violation of her supervision terms. The court granted emergency relief ordering her immediate release.

Approximately 200 to 1,400 detainees at North Lake Processing Facility, a 1,800-bed ICE detention center in Baldwin, Michigan, began a hunger and labor strike on Monday, April 21, 2026, to protest conditions including medical neglect, slow ICE communication, and prolonged confinement. The facility, operated by private prison company GEO Group, holds detainees with average stays of 49 days, though some have been held for nearly six months. By Wednesday morning, detainees in at least one unit had stopped the strike.

Miguel Rosas Ruiz, a 50-year-old widowed father of four U.S. citizen children in Michigan, was detained by ICE on March 10, 2026, after being intercepted near Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti while allegedly on his way to his painting business. His oldest daughter, Morelia Rosas Martinez, 22, had postponed her college plans to care for her three younger siblings during his detention. Over the following month, Morelia advocated for his release through community support and legal assistance, with a GoFundMe campaign raising over $20,000. Rosas Ruiz was released on bond on April 15 and reunited with his family on April 16. His case is one of more than 100 identified by CNN involving U.S. citizen children separated from parents through ICE enforcement actions in 2025.

ICE agents conducted a high-risk traffic stop around 9 a.m. on April 14, 2026, near Beakes Street and North Fifth Avenue outside a children's daycare in downtown Ann Arbor, taking the driver into custody. Agents surrounded the vehicle with multiple cars, approached with guns drawn, and left the scene before local police arrived, abandoning the suspect's vehicle in a bike lane. Ann Arbor's mayor and police chief say the arrest occurred without their knowledge or participation, with the mayor criticizing the tactics as designed to intimidate the community. The identity and current location of the arrested individual remain unknown as federal authorities have not responded to requests for information.

Miguel Rosas Ruiz, a Mexican-born business owner and father of four from Ypsilanti, was detained by ICE on March 10, 2026, while driving to work on Carpenter Road. He is being held at the North Lake Detention Center in Baldwin. His daughter, Morelia Rosas Martinez, spoke publicly about the emotional impact of his detention on their family and others affected by immigration enforcement. The Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor City Councils passed resolutions advocating for his release and a bond hearing.

Civil rights groups including the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and ACLU of Michigan say ICE enforcement activity has increased at or near Michigan hospitals and clinics following federal withdrawal of guidelines that previously restricted law enforcement in health care settings. Health care providers report a rise in ICE encounters and worry about increased fear among patients and staff.

ICE officers abducted a mother dropping her child off at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, 33, was arrested on March 4, 2026, outside a Sam's Club in Utica after resisting federal agents conducting surveillance based on reports of undocumented immigrants working as delivery drivers. During the altercation, Marquez-Pulido grabbed a Homeland Security agent's firearm and injured two investigators before being tackled. He faces federal charges of assaulting and resisting an officer and illegal firearm possession, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years if convicted.

An ACLU legal fellow visited the North Lake Processing Center in Michigan to meet with a detained Venezuelan woman seeking asylum. The author describes arbitrary security screening practices, including being required to remove her underwire bra, and documents severe detention conditions including inadequate food, limited outdoor access, medication costs passed to detainees, and a recent death at the facility. The detained woman, who entered the U.S. legally through CBP One screening and a port of entry, was separated from her 3-month-old infant after a false accusation by an abusive ex-partner and faces an impossible choice between deportation to Venezuela or relocation to Ecuador without her child.

Nenko Gantchev, a 56-year-old Bulgarian national who lived in Chicago for 30 years, died on December 16, 2025, while in ICE custody at North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, operated by GEO Group. He had been arrested in September 2025 during an immigration enforcement operation. Gantchev had type 2 diabetes and deteriorating health conditions that advocates say went untreated. His death prompted calls from his family and U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens and Hillary Scholten for an immediate investigation. The lawmakers toured the facility and expressed frustration that the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to their inquiries about his death, which ICE attributed to natural causes. Immigrant rights advocates, including the ACLU of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, documented that multiple detainees at the facility have been denied emergency and routine medical care, prescription medications, and follow-up care after hospitalization. Gantchev's family has sought a private autopsy.

A dog was left alone and frightened after his adopter was encountered by federal immigration officers and hospitalized, then prevented from contacting anyone. A hospital social worker alerted the Humane Society of Huron Valley, which rescued the dog. The adopter's current immigration status and whereabouts remain unknown.

Osmary Garcia, who entered the U.S. legally through the CBP One app during the Biden administration, was arrested by immigration officers in February 2026 and detained at North Lake Processing Center in Michigan. After the Trump administration revoked legal status for CBP One entrants and terminated the asylum program under which the family had been admitted, her husband Hector Marin and their six children decided to self-deport to Venezuela to reunite with her. With help from a Detroit Public Schools staff member, the family arranged their voluntary departure and travel in April 2026.

ICE agents detained multiple parents near a school bus drop-off spot in Ypsilanti while students were arriving or departing for school. Local school officials and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office confirmed the detentions occurred near bus stops, though not on school property itself. The superintendent stated the school district does not voluntarily cooperate with ICE and described the circumstances as distressing.

Hassan Hamka, a lawful permanent resident, has been held in ICE detention for over six months while his legal case proceeds. His daughter created a petition seeking community support and character testimonials to present to the judge at his trial.

Ernesto Cuevas Enciso, a 34-year-old Detroit construction worker, was detained by ICE on December 6, 2025, while heading to a job site in Ypsilanti. Cuevas Enciso immigrated from Mexico at age three and has lived in the United States since childhood. He is married to a U.S. citizen, father of a one-year-old daughter, and holds valid work authorization and a Michigan driver's license while his green card application is pending. A former DACA recipient, he lost that status due to nonviolent misdemeanor offenses from over a decade ago. His sister Miriam Stone confirmed he was carrying his identification when picked up. Eight Michigan Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and State Sen. Stephanie Chang, along with faith leaders and city officials, wrote letters urging ICE to release him on bond before his December 17 immigration hearing. Cuevas Enciso is being held at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan.

Mohan Karki, a 30-year-old refugee born in a Nepal refugee camp whose family fled persecution in Bhutan in the 1990s, faces deportation to Bhutan by the U.S. government despite having no passport or birth certificate from that country. He has been detained for over eight months pending removal proceedings stemming from a teenage burglary conviction. His attorneys have stated that deportation could result in statelessness, as Bhutanese authorities have previously denied entry to other deportees.

Santiago Zamora Perez, a 17-year-old Detroit student at Western International High School, was arrested by ICE on Sunday after Fraser police pulled him over for driving under the speed limit and called federal agents. Zamora and his mother were detained; he is a Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. last year. At least four Detroit teens are currently held in ICE detention facilities.

Two 16-year-old Venezuelan cousins were detained by ICE agents during a raid on their Detroit home in late November 2025. The teens arrived in the U.S. in 2023 and were formally seeking asylum with valid work permits. Both were students at Western International High School, where a teacher described one cousin as an excellent student eager to learn English. One cousin worked at Chili's. During the raid, agents also detained two of the teens' parents while searching for a different individual. All four family members were transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Texas, hundreds of miles from their support network. Both teens had pending asylum cases scheduled for immigration court. Community members, students, and advocates held a rally at Clark Park calling for their immediate release.

Mor Ba, a 19-year-old asylum seeker from Senegal, was detained by ICE on the morning before Thanksgiving while entering his car to go to work. Ba, who had no criminal record and was months away from his asylum hearing, was taken to the North Lake Processing Center in northwest Michigan. His aunt, Seydi Sarr, a Detroit-based immigrant rights advocate, learned of his detention when he called her from the ICE office and eventually posted a $10,000 bond for his release in January.

Kevin Larson, a 68-year-old Canadian retiree with no criminal record, was stopped at the Blue Water Bridge on October 18, 2025, while attempting to enter Michigan to attend a No Kings protest against Trump's policies. After three hours of questioning, fingerprinting, a phone search, and a DNA cheek swab collected under threat of jail time, Larson was denied entry and returned to Canada. Border agents told him he was turned away due to the nature of his planned protest activity.

Erick Pena, a 29-year-old from Honduras who came to the U.S. as a child, was detained by ICE in October while on his way to work. He had an approved petition for permanent residency through his U.S. citizen wife. After three months in ICE custody, he was released on bond while his deportation case is pending. His wife Synthea, a U.S. citizen, started a GoFundMe to cover legal fees and government costs as they pursue a hardship waiver.

Stanley Minjale, who immigrated to the United States from Malawi in 2021 on a student visa, was detained in October 2025 after his visa status was terminated for failing to enroll in a university as required. At the time of detention, he held a valid work permit and was employed full-time as a nursing assistant. He has a nearly two-year-old U.S. citizen son whom he has not seen during his nine-month detention at North Lake Processing Center. Minjale has received a deportation order but continues to appeal.

Kamal Tijani, who arrived in the U.S. from Nigeria in 2017 on a valid student visa, was arrested by ICE in October 2025 for overstaying his visa. He has been detained at North Lake Processing Center for nine months. His wife, a U.S. resident from Georgia, lost their apartment without his income and cannot visit him. Tijani has received a deportation order but continues to appeal his case while remaining in indefinite detention.

Kay Southisone was detained by ICE on June 24, 2025, during a routine immigration check-in in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was transferred to a detention center in Baldwin, Michigan, where he remains while ICE pursues his deportation to Laos, a country he has not visited since age 8. His family is seeking funds for legal representation and a stay of removal.

Philippe Kame, a Taubman College Master of Architecture student at the University of Michigan, was detained by ICE in April 2025 after losing his F-1 student visa status. Kame claims the university terminated his graduate student instructor position in breach of an employment contract signed in December 2024, leaving him unable to afford tuition for winter 2025 semester and resulting in loss of visa status. He was detained for approximately one month and described being approached by armed officers in tactical gear. After his release on bond on April 27, Kame received support from the Graduate Employees' Organization, which helped him file a grievance against the university, and from over 1,300 community members who signed letters supporting his release. Kame remains enrolled as a student and continues to pursue reinstatement of his GSI position with GEO's support.

A Venezuelan immigrant detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel attempted to take his life by hanging himself in early March 2025. CBP officers intervened and transported him to a hospital for evaluation before transferring him to ICE custody on March 15. The incident is part of a larger pattern where advocates report 213 immigrants were detained in Detroit between January and March 2025, with approximately 90% having accidentally taken the wrong lane onto the Ambassador Bridge or tunnel while attempting to return to the U.S.