Human Impact Project

Jeyson Molina's wife was detained by ICE agents in Newark while working as a package delivery driver. The sudden detention has left the family seeking financial support for legal fees to secure representation. The family is raising $8,000 for lawyers as they navigate the legal process.

Kwesi Menezes, a 35-year-old lawful permanent resident who had lived in the U.S. since age two and grew up in Burlington County, New Jersey, was found unresponsive in Guyana on August 30, months after being deported there in April. His family believes he overdosed on medication prescribed for schizophrenia, a condition he had struggled with for years. Menezes had been arrested by ICE in Mount Holly, New Jersey, in connection with a prior conviction for assaulting a police officer during what his family described as a mental-health episode, and was later transferred into ICE detention and placed on DHS's 'Worst of the Worst Criminal Aliens Arrested' list in December. His mother and sister said his psychiatric condition was not adequately considered during his immigration proceedings and questioned whether he understood what was happening to him while in custody. Relatives describe him as a gifted singer and dancer who was always willing to help others, and are working to bring his remains back to the U.S. for burial.

A community member pulled over to film DHS agents detaining people and asked why the agents were wearing masks. Instead of answering, an agent stated the bystander's full name and told them to move along, and when the person kept observing, the agent again announced their name, asked if they wanted a visit from an investigator, and read out their full home address, according to a federal lawsuit. The incident is cited in a lawsuit filed by Common Cause against ICE, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security alleging systematic intimidation and retaliation against people who lawfully observe and record federal immigration officers.

A court filing revealed that earlier this year four ICE vehicles sped past a stopped school bus with its lights flashing in New Jersey before heading toward an apartment complex where elementary school children were waiting for another bus. The children scattered and ran away in fear. Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America's Voice, said the incident showed immigration agents treating young children on their way to school as targets.

José Efraín Chajón Raxón, a Guatemalan national, was detained by federal immigration agents during a raid in Passaic, New Jersey, one of at least 15 people taken into custody in the city that day as part of a broader sweep that detained at least 75 people in July, including one U.S. citizen. He was transferred to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, where he suffered seizures and a medical emergency. He was released from ICE custody roughly a day and a half after the seizures began, then died at nearby University Hospital. His death was the second reported death linked to Delaney Hall in less than a month, and it went unreported for weeks because new rules stop recording deaths occurring shortly after release from ICE custody. His body was repatriated to his hometown of San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, where his community held vigils and a funeral. Community members said the wave of arrests emptied streets, parks, and businesses in the majority-Latino town.

Brandon Domena, a lifelong Passaic County, New Jersey resident and U.S. citizen, was detained by ICE agents for about five hours after a confrontation broke out while he and his family watched agents arrest a neighbor, reportedly a Mexican man wanted for domestic violence. Video showed agents in tactical gear restraining Domena face-down on a lawn and handcuffing him, with a witness saying his arm was nearly dislocated; he says he was left with bruises and marks on his hands. Domena said he repeatedly told agents he was a U.S. citizen, believes he was racially profiled, and was denied water, a restroom, medical attention and a phone call during his detention. DHS alleges he spit at and kicked an officer and was arrested on potential charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers, but he has not been criminally charged. He disputes DHS's account, says an agent later apologized to him, was released the same day, and has hired a lawyer.

Blerim Skoro, a 55-year-old Kosovo-born cab driver from Staten Island with an American wife and three children, was detained by ICE agents on August 3 while checking in at an immigration office in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Skoro says he spent years working as a confidential informant for U.S. intelligence agencies, infiltrating al-Qaeda training camps in Pakistan and helping secure convictions of members of al Qaeda, al Shabaab and Hezbollah. In November 2022 a federal judge granted him deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture after finding he faced risk of torture and death if returned to Kosovo. His wife, Susan Skoro, said he was taken away after checking in at the front desk, and his former attorney and his taxi union's executive director described him as having led a law-abiding life and performed courageous work for the United States. His attorney, Joshua Dratel, filed a habeas corpus petition arguing ICE detained him without first seeking required judicial permission, and the case has proceeded through expedited briefing in federal court.

ICE arrested Khayrullo Payzullaev, 30, a Uzbek national and commercial truck driver, during a targeted enforcement action at a travel stop in Hamilton, New Jersey. He held a Pennsylvania non-domiciled commercial driver's license. A Philadelphia immigration judge had ordered his detention on July 21, and he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

ICE officers arrested Zokhid Zakhidov, 37, in Woodbridge and Khayrullo Payzullaev, 30, in Hamilton, New Jersey, on August 23 as part of a Department of Homeland Security effort targeting fraudulent commercial driver's license practices. Both men are Uzbek citizens; Zakhidov had a New York commercial learner permit and a prior DWI conviction along with pending assault and harassment charges, while Payzullaev held a non-domiciled Pennsylvania commercial driver's license and had been ordered detained by an immigration judge in Philadelphia. ICE also reported that Cranbury Police had previously arrested Zakhidov as a fugitive from justice in April 2026. Both men remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Two workers at Raymond's restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey were detained by ICE on a Wednesday morning while on their way to work, according to co-workers and public records. Both men are currently being held at Delaney Hall, a detention facility in Newark. ICE confirmed the detentions were among six in the area, prompting local statements of condemnation and concern from community members. A local reverend has discussed ways residents can offer support.

Macedonia Merino Maldonado, 19, and Jero Jimenez Garcia, 29, both kitchen staff at Raymond's restaurant in Montclair, were detained by ICE agents on Bloomfield Avenue while on their way to work. A federal detainee locator confirmed both men, originally from Mexico, are being held at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark. Co-workers said the men lived in Montclair, and a local advocate said as many as five Montclair residents may have been arrested that day, though those additional details could not be confirmed. A server at the restaurant said colleagues were devastated by the arrests, and local officials, including the deputy mayor, called the detentions "extremely concerning."

Ari Ladino, owner of Luana Rose Modestly, a bridal and special occasion dress shop in Teaneck, New Jersey, was detained by ICE along with his mother, who worked alongside him at the store. Ladino and his mother are originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and had run the shop since it opened in 2024, becoming known for custom gowns popular among local Orthodox Jewish women. Their landlord, Elie Y. Katz, helped retrieve dresses for clients whose weddings and events were imminent after the pair went missing, and later learned Ladino's mother had been sent to a different detention center. Ladino asked a business partner to prepare the store for a sale of the gowns to help raise money for his legal defense.

A man was detained by ICE agents in Newark, New Jersey, after visiting the food pantry at United Deliverance Tabernacle church. According to Iszzy Owens, who filmed the encounter, the man had signed up for food assistance and crossed the street to wait for a bus when two ICE agents surrounded him; a third agent then arrived and the man was handcuffed and taken away. Owens said the man visits the church pantry every Friday and does not bother anyone, describing him as "a good person."

A man was taken into custody by federal immigration agents at Summit Avenue and 21st Street in Union City, New Jersey, according to a witness. The witness said three ICE vehicles arrived and agents detained the man while he sat on the corner with a friend; he provided identification before masked agents handcuffed him, searched his bag and pockets, and took him away. The incident follows a New Jersey law signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill barring law enforcement from wearing masks while interacting with the public, which ICE has continued to disregard. The report is part of a series of immigration enforcement actions recently reported across Hudson County, including in West New York, Guttenberg, North Bergen, and Weehawken.

A video submitted to HudPost appears to show a federal immigration agent kicking a man during an encounter at 52nd Street and Hudson Avenue in West New York, New Jersey. The footage shows an agent making physical contact with the man, though the circumstances leading up to the moment are unclear and could not be independently verified. ICE did not comment on the incident, citing its policy of not discussing active investigations or arrests. The report follows a series of other immigration enforcement actions across Hudson County in recent weeks, including in Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, and Union City.

A man was reportedly detained by ICE agents while waiting for a bus to go to work in the South Ward of Newark, New Jersey. Video footage shows officers wearing tactical vests marked "POLICE" apprehending the man near a residential street. The incident has generated concern in the local community.

Margarita, a woman from New Jersey, was detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center for two months following what was described as a violent arrest. During her detention, she received only about a quarter of her prescribed diabetes medication, and her doctor and pharmacy were not contacted despite her family's concerns. Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-NJ) visited her and raised concerns about her treatment, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also expressing concern. Mejia characterized the conditions as a "slow death sentence."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 14 people on the morning of August 6, 2026, outside several Main Street businesses in Hackettstown, New Jersey, including Sunrise Dairy & Deli, Fruitimex Produce, and the post office. According to DHS, all 14 are in removal proceedings or being removed; this included Rafael Salazar, whose 2001 Miami-Dade cocaine possession case resulted in a deferred disposition rather than a conviction, and Luis Rivera Guillen, who has prior convictions in New York. Local activist groups have alleged that ICE used a private security firm, set an arrest quota of 40, and paid contractors $3,000 a day, though these claims have not been independently verified. In the operation's aftermath, some Hackettstown residents and business owners, particularly those serving Spanish-speaking customers, have described fear and a quieter Main Street.

A Filipino national from Cebu, identified in recent reporting as Raul Raagas, was arrested by ICE during a traffic stop in Jersey City following a July 24 family court hearing, and has since been transferred from the Elizabeth, New Jersey facility to a detention center in Mississippi. According to the Philippine Consulate General in New York, he entered the United States decades ago on an athlete visa through the Gintong Alay sports program, and the Consulate reported he is in good spirits and good condition. Raagas, 30, is the father of two U.S. citizen children, and Hudson County officials are investigating possible cooperation between county employees and ICE in connection with his detention. His bond hearing, originally set for Aug. 20, was postponed twice before finally taking place on Sept. 30.

Tonny Quesada-Ramirez, a Costa Rican national who has lived in the United States for approximately 26 years, was detained by ICE agents on August 7, 2026, while working on a home addition project near his South Orange residence. He lives with his wife and two children, one of whom has Down's syndrome, and had begun the green card application process when he was detained. Through efforts by South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative attorneys, immigration attorney Kate Reilly, and the group SOMA Community Cares, Quesada-Ramirez and two other local men were released from Delaney Hall detention center a few days after their arrest. ICE has stated he remains in removal proceedings, citing a prior 2001 removal order after he failed to appear in court and a 2010 arrest followed by release on bond in 2011; community members had raised over $50,000 to support him and others detained in the same enforcement action.