Human Impact Project

A woman, identified by her daughter-in-law Yajaira Gutierrez as her mother-in-law, was arrested by ICE agents who surrounded her car in Santa Fe while a baby on oxygen was in the back seat. Family members said agents told them they would break the car's windows regardless of what they did and would take her anyway. Gutierrez said the family could only watch as their relative was taken away, adding that "everyone has rights, but apparently in this country they don't."

Edgar Chacon-Miranda, 45, was detained by ICE agents in the parking lot of La Familia Health/Medical Center in Santa Fe as he drove his young daughter to a medical appointment, after apparently being followed from home. Clinic staff, including chief information officer Jasmin Milz, said agents blocked his vehicle and took him into custody without entering the building, and the child was later picked up by a family member with help from community advocates. DHS labeled Chacon-Miranda a 'criminal illegal alien' with an 'extensive criminal history,' citing 2018 battery, criminal sexual penetration, and child abuse charges, but court records show those charges were dismissed after the alleged victim declined to cooperate. His attorney, Allegra Love, said he has full legal custody of his children under a New Mexico family court order and received a U visa in 2022 for cooperating with law enforcement, which expired in May while his residency application remains pending. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies criticized federal officials for citing the dismissed case without noting its outcome. U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said ICE reported eight people detained in Santa Fe that day and called leaving the child in the parking lot 'cruelty.' New Mexico House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski confirmed agents had followed the parent and child from their home.

Adriana Ruiz, 43, was detained by ICE agents in Santa Fe while getting into a car with her daughter-in-law, Yajaira Gutierrez, on the way to a medical appointment for Gutierrez's 2-month-old baby, who was on an oxygen machine. Gutierrez said agents refused to show paperwork and gave false information about the vehicle they were seeking before Ruiz agreed to be arrested to protect her family. Gutierrez said Ruiz has health problems and that relatives have not been told where she was taken or whether she is receiving medical care.

Valentín, a hardworking family man, was detained by ICE for more than seven months in inhumane conditions. During his detention, he endured days without meals and was served cold or contaminated food, including food with worms. He was separated from his family with minimal meaningful communication and was unable to be present when his daughter gave birth, learning only later in custody that he had a newborn granddaughter. After his eventual release and reunification with his family, Valentín faces significant accumulated debt as he works to rebuild their lives.

Houman Rashidy, an Iranian citizen, was detained at Torrance County Detention Facility for approximately 13 months pending removal. On July 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kea W. Riggs granted Rashidy's petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, ordering his release. The court found no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, as removal to Iran is withheld and three countries (Canada, Brazil, Honduras) refused to accept him.

Martha Sias, a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident, was arrested by ICE agents on July 15, 2026, during a targeted enforcement operation outside an Allsup's convenience store in Chaparral. The arrest drew attention after a social media video circulated showing her detention. According to court records, Sias pleaded guilty in October 2025 to manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance after CBP officers discovered approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the door panels of an SUV she was driving at the Paso del Norte border crossing on January 12, 2022. She was sentenced to 10 years of supervised probation and was on probation at the time of her ICE arrest. ICE said she is subject to removal proceedings and will have an opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge.

An elderly woman who has been in the U.S. legally for over 35 years was detained by ICE agents in Chaparral, New Mexico while traveling to a chemotherapy appointment. According to her daughter, the woman encountered ICE agents on the road, became frightened, and fled into an Allsup's Convenience Store seeking help, reporting she had been followed. Video of the incident spread on social media. The detention occurred amid ongoing debate over ICE traffic stop policies, following President Trump's statement that ICE should continue traffic stops despite two recent deadly shootings involving ICE agents.

Luis, a roofer with no criminal record, was arrested during an ICE raid in Arkansas while working. He was transferred through multiple facilities—a local jail, a Texas prison, and ultimately the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico—where he has been held for over a year without criminal charges and with limited legal assistance or clarity on his status.

Rogelio Bolufé, a 44-year-old Cuban immigrant, initiated a 10-day hunger strike while detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico to protest poor conditions and alleged confiscation of legal documents by CoreCivic staff. Within 48 hours of being taken to the Albuquerque ICE field office, he was transferred to multiple detention facilities across Texas, Alabama, Arizona, and Washington. Bolufé alleged the transfers constituted retaliation for his advocacy and complaints, and claimed he was denied medical care during the process, including being forced to sleep on cold floors in overcrowded conditions. He was appealing a deportation order and seeking a Green Card under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Bolufé was ultimately deported by ICE in May 2026.

Armando Ducosquier Suarez is a Cuban citizen who entered the United States without inspection on March 18, 2022, and has since accrued no criminal history. He was detained by ICE shortly after entry, then released on his own recognizance in March 2022, during which time he established a life in the US with his spouse, who filed an Alien Relative Petition on his behalf in February 2025. On May 6, 2026, Suarez was re-detained by ICE at a scheduled check-in without explanation, notice of changed circumstances, or a hearing. He was transferred to the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico. On May 14, 2026, Suarez filed a habeas corpus petition arguing his re-detention violated the Due Process Clause and the Immigration and Nationality Act. On May 27, 2026, the federal court granted his petition, finding that Suarez possessed a protected liberty interest in his release, that a pre-deprivation hearing was required before re-detention, and that the Mathews factors weighed in his favor. The court ordered Suarez's immediate release within 24 hours and prohibited further re-detention unless ICE demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that he is a danger to the community or a flight risk.

Rogelio Bolufé Izquierdo, a 44-year-old Cuban national detained at Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico, organized approximately 200 detainees into a group called the Union of Those Kidnapped by ICE to document poor conditions including inadequate water access, spoiled food, insufficient medical care, and unsanitary sewage leaks. Izquierdo, who entered legally in 2020 but overstayed his visa, has filed multiple habeas corpus petitions challenging his indefinite civil detention without bail, while his fiancée documents his case and advocacy efforts.

Deiver Henao Jimenez, a 9-year-old asylum-seeker from Colombia, was detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas with his parents beginning in early March after a routine immigration check-in. Community activists launched advocacy efforts calling for his release so he could return to school and compete in his state spelling bee. After pleading during a video call with children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, ICE released the family on humanitarian parole in late March, allowing Deiver to attend the competition.

Adriana Laya, Miguel Alberto Caicedo, and their two children were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas for two months following a routine ICE check-in in January 2026. The family, who entered the U.S. in 2024 under asylum parole, reported poor detention conditions including undrinkable water, constant lighting, and inadequate medical care for their son with kidney issues. Upon their release in mid-February, they discovered they had been evicted from their apartment in Las Cruces, New Mexico and lost their possessions, life savings, pet dog, and jobs. The family is now living in their car, their only remaining possession.

Qing Wang, a Chinese citizen who entered the US without inspection in February 2024, was detained by ICE at a truck weight station in February 2026. Wang had established a life in the US with a wife and child and worked as a truck driver with no criminal history. The court ruled he was entitled to a bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226 and ordered the government to provide one within seven days.

Volunteer searchers with Battalion Search and Rescue have documented dozens of sites containing migrant skeletal remains in the New Mexico desert west of El Paso, with some sites remaining unrecovered for over 18 months after being reported to authorities. The group reported finding human remains or personal effects at 15 locations that were marked on government maps as cleaned-up sites, and disputes official figures showing a sharp drop in migrant remains recovered, claiming several sites they reported in late 2024 were actually recovered but not counted in official statistics.

Sachin Kumar, a native and citizen of India, entered the United States without inspection on December 25, 2023 and was detained by ICE on December 26, 2025. He was issued a Notice to Appear charging him as a noncitizen present in the US who has not been admitted or paroled, and was transferred to the Torrance County Detention Center in Estancia, New Mexico. The court granted his habeas petition in part and ordered that he receive a bond hearing within seven days.

ICE arrested and detained Samirakan and Sofiia Umetalieva, a Russian mother and daughter, on December 18, 2025, for removal proceedings after they stopped reporting for immigration check-ins in November 2024. The petitioners had initially arrived at a U.S. port of entry in December 2021 and were released under the Alternative to Detention program. The federal court granted their habeas petition and ordered their release, finding their detention violated immigration law and due process.

Carlos, a Venezuelan man with temporary protected status, was detained by ICE at a New Mexico immigration office in December 2025 after being called for what he believed was a reunification meeting with his 14-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. Federal officials had previously vetted Carlos and told him his custody case was complete. When he arrived at the ICE office, officers attempted to force him to sign documents he did not understand. After refusing to sign, officers stripped his clothes, seized his belongings, and chained him by the neck, waist, and legs. Carlos said he felt "tricked" and that ICE "used my children to grab me." His two children had been in a federal shelter in Texas for nearly a year after crossing the border to reunite with him. According to reporting, the Trump administration's Office of Refugee Resettlement has begun coordinating with ICE to arrest parents and caregivers seeking custody of unaccompanied migrant children, reversing Obama-era restrictions on data sharing between the resettlement office and immigration enforcement.

Mohammad Rasoli has been in federal custody since November 29, 2025, a period of six months. He is detained at the Otero County Processing Center and is assumed to be subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b). Rasoli filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus on May 7, 2026, challenging the legality of his prolonged detention. The federal respondents filed a response on May 26, 2026. The court determined that Rasoli's indefinite, prolonged detention may violate his substantive due process rights under the Fifth Amendment, citing precedent from Mardanpour v. Warden. The court ordered Rasoli to file a supplemental reply by June 3, 2026, addressing whether he is entitled to habeas relief based on the six-month detention threshold established in Zadvydas v. Davis.

A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Paulo Cesar Gamez Lira, a 27-year-old DACA recipient and father of four U.S. citizen children who was detained by ICE for 42 days. Gamez Lira was detained on August 13 when federal agents surrounded his vehicle in Horizon City, Texas, with two of his young children present. He was held at the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico, separated from his family including a three-month-old infant with serious medical conditions. The federal government declined to oppose his release.

In New Mexico, a father was en route to a school event when his vehicle was surrounded by agents in a supermarket parking lot. Agents smashed his window with a sledgehammer. His partner and two young girls slipped out the passenger side as an armed agent hovered beside the car. ICE, which was assisted by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, claimed that when officers first tried to stop Jorge Martín Ortiz-Rosalez's vehicle earlier that day, he fled at high speed.

Deivi Jose Molina-Pena, a 33-year-old Venezuelan on Temporary Protected Status, was arrested by ICE agents at a Walmart on July 7, 2025, while working as a delivery driver for Walmart's Spark service. Video captured agents using a Taser to subdue him as he fell and struck his head. Molina-Pena remained in ICE custody in El Paso with reported head pain and no medical evaluation. His arrest followed tensions between American-born and immigrant delivery drivers, with American drivers reportedly calling ICE hotlines to report immigrants' locations.

Sergei Izbitski, 46, has lived in the U.S. for 34 years after leaving Kazakhstan as a boy. He built a successful painting and remodeling business in New Jersey and maintained a home there with no criminal history. On June 9, 2025, ICE arrested Izbitski and transported him to Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. He cannot be deported because Kazakhstan will not recognize him as a citizen, and no other country will accept him, yet he remains detained without bond hearings under the Trump administration's interpretation of immigration law subjecting long-term non-citizen residents to mandatory detention. His case is one of more than 100 similar cases in New Mexico where individuals face indefinite detention while challenging the government's detention policy.

Sergei Izbitski, a 46-year-old who has lived in the U.S. for 34 years after leaving Kazakhstan as a boy, was arrested by ICE on June 9 and transported to the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. Izbitski is not a Kazakhstani citizen, making deportation impossible. He has no criminal history and operated a successful painting and remodeling business in New Jersey. After a prior deportation attempt failed, he was placed on immigration supervision. A U.S. Magistrate Judge recommended his release on conditions, though his case remained pending. Izbitski is among more than 100 individuals detained in New Mexico challenging the Trump administration's interpretation of immigration law that subjects long-term residents to mandatory detention without bond hearings.

Sergei Izbitski, a 46-year-old who has lived in the U.S. for 34 years after fleeing Kazakhstan as a boy, was arrested by ICE on June 9 and transported to the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. Izbitski cannot be deported because he is not a Kazakh citizen and no country will accept him. He ran a successful painting and remodeling business in New Jersey, has no criminal history, and had been complying with immigration supervision. Despite a federal magistrate judge recommending his release on conditions, he remained detained indefinitely as of the article's publication. His case is among more than 100 similar cases in New Mexico where long-term residents are being held without bond hearings.

On June 5, 2025, ICE agents conducted a sweep of the Rio Rancho Walmart parking lot, detaining approximately a dozen delivery drivers from Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, and elsewhere. The operation was prompted by calls to ICE hotlines from American-born delivery drivers reporting the locations of immigrant workers. Sandoval County Sheriff's Office provided support to the operation. At least three of those detained remain in custody, though none have been confirmed deported.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent, Andrew Josiah Segura, was charged with assault and evidence tampering following an incident on February 19, 2025, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The charges allege he assaulted a handcuffed detainee and physically threatened CBP employees while performing official duties.

In New Mexico, 10 Las Cruces high school students on their way to a swim meet were confronted by a Border Patrol agent at a permanent interior Border Patrol checkpoint. After the Spanish-speaking driver could not answer the agent's questions in English, the agent boarded the bus and demanded students' papers in Spanish over their coaches' objections. 'Without hesitation he jumped on the bus and didn't ask the adults any more questions. He just started walking in the bus and started yelling in Spanish, demanding documentation from all the passengers,' said Las Cruces High Swim coach Pamela Quiñones. Students were visibly shaken.