Human Impact Project

Carlos Tellez Sánchez, a 35-year-old Venezuelan man living in Texas, was deported to Liberia after more than seven months in ICE custody. He was detained after attending a routine immigration check-in appointment in December, despite holding a Withholding of Removal order and having an active habeas corpus petition pending in a federal court in southern Texas. His third child was born while he was detained, and he has only been able to see the baby through a video call. Family members say Tellez, the family's main provider, was placed on a flight to Liberia with 19 other deportees, several of whom were restrained after resisting the transfer, and he is now staying at a hotel there while deciding whether to seek asylum or travel elsewhere.

Liam Tadeo, a 5-year-old just days from starting kindergarten, was detained alongside his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, after federal agents stopped their vehicle in Austin as the two were on their way to a soccer game. They were taken to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where DHS said they remain together pending Martinez Nieto's removal. Video captured Liam crying as officers arrested his father. His aunt described him in a GoFundMe post as 'a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy,' while his mother said the family was devastated. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar publicized the case, calling for Liam's immediate release and the closure of the Dilley facility. Immigration attorney Renata Castro said Liam will likely remain at Dilley for weeks with an uncertain future, and that DHS has made it difficult for attorneys to access clients. DHS said Martinez Nieto, a Mexican national, had previously been arrested and accepted voluntary departure before reentering the country.

ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents entered private property in Brownsville, Texas, to arrest a man, while the property owner demanded to see a judicial warrant. According to local news reports cited in the post, immigration authorities told the Brownsville Police Department they would be increasing their presence in the city.

A resident in Brownsville, Texas recorded federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI/ICE) agents restraining a man on the ground inside a commercial plaza. In the video, a bystander can be heard questioning the agents' presence on what he calls "private property," while an officer orders him to back away under threat of arrest. Brownsville Mayor John Cowen criticized the increased aggressiveness of federal immigration operations in the area, saying it "sends the wrong message" and that "it makes no sense to go after people who follow the rules."

A group of construction workers was detained by ICE agents at a job site in the Texas Heights residential development in Weslaco, Texas. A video recorded by a bystander shows workers telling agents they were on private property while officers restrained and detained several of their coworkers. "We couldn't do anything for our coworkers," one worker said.

Ana Kikabidze and her children, ages 11 and 14, were detained for months at the Dilley immigration detention facility in South Texas before an immigration judge ordered their deportation to Georgia. A federal judge found the Trump administration had repeatedly violated the Flores Settlement by detaining children far beyond legal limits, in some cases over 300 days. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee appointed an independent monitor to oversee detention conditions for children at Dilley and other facilities.

José Mejía, a 45-year-old Mexican migrant, said he was detained by ICE agents on August 11 while on his way to work in Arlington, Texas. He said agents shocked him with a stun gun when he tried to flee and then physically assaulted him, leaving him with visible facial injuries. Mejía said he later woke up in a hospital in Washington, where he was admitted for three days due to the severity of his injuries. Days later, he said he still needed medical attention for his injuries but was denied permission to remove his ankle monitor so he could see a doctor.

Oswaldo José Pirela, a 34-year-old Venezuelan-born catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres' minor-league system, was detained by immigration authorities at El Paso International Airport while traveling for work. Pirela lives near Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and two U.S.-born daughters, and previously played in the Texas Rangers' minor-league system after signing in 2009 before coaching for the Padres since 2024. He entered the U.S. in 2014, applied for asylum in 2015 citing fears of persecution over criticism of the Venezuelan government, and has a pending green card application along with a work permit his family says is valid until 2029. DHS stated his authorized stay expired in February 2018 and that pending applications or work permits do not confer legal status; he remains in custody pending removal proceedings. Relatives describe him as a devoted father, dedicated coach, and man of faith respected by coworkers and players, and they are seeking legal assistance and asking Rep. Abraham Hamadeh to intervene. His detention followed a broader ICE practice, begun in July, of using TSA flight lists to identify and detain travelers at airports.

Juan Francisco Monroy Turuy, a 54-year-old man, called Houston Police Department to report a shooting outside a Home Depot store on West Sam Houston Parkway South. Monroy Turuy remained at the scene and cooperated with officers to identify the suspect. While participating as a witness in the investigation, ICE agents arrived and detained him based on his immigration status. Houston Police Department confirmed it did not contact ICE or collaborate with the agency. Immigration advocates and community organizations including FIEL, PSL, and CRECEN raised questions about how ICE located Monroy Turuy at the scene, including whether automated surveillance technology like Flock cameras played a role. FIEL Executive Director Cesar Espinosa called for clarity on why ICE responded so quickly. Home Depot denied cooperating with ICE, stating it is not notified of immigration enforcement activities and does not coordinate with federal agencies.

Luis Alfredo Morales Pérez, 50, a Venezuelan pastor who leads four Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the Houston area, primarily in Pasadena, and has served the Texas Conference since January 2023, was detained by ICE agents on Aug. 6, 2026, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport as he and his wife, Karina, prepared to fly to New York to see their daughters. His wife said two agents approached the couple by name and arrested him before they passed through security. Morales entered the U.S. in 2020 and was granted Temporary Protected Status in December 2023, which ICE says was terminated in November 2025 after the Supreme Court allowed DHS's termination of TPS for Venezuelans to take effect; his wife and attorney say he has a pending asylum case and no criminal record. The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists said he holds valid employment authorization and described his 'commitment to our mission and the families he serves' as 'unwavering,' asking congregants to pray for him and his family. He is being held at an ICE detention center in Livingston, Texas, where he has been able to speak with his family by phone while his legal team gathers documents to request bond; his case is reported to be at least the third involving a Texas pastor detained at an airport in the past month.

Reny Jesús Colina Torres, a 27-year-old Venezuelan mariachi musician and trumpet player who works as a dishwasher at a Cracker Barrel, was detained by ICE agents during a vehicle stop near Culebra Road and North Navidad Street in San Antonio's Woodlawn Lake area on Monday morning while returning home from driving his brother-in-law to work. His sister said he previously applied for asylum and has work authorization while his immigration court case proceeds, with his next hearing scheduled for January. DHS stated that Colina Torres was in the country illegally and would remain in custody during removal proceedings, though his family said they entered through an official port of entry two years ago to escape dire economic conditions in Venezuela. He was sent to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, the same facility where his friend and fellow mariachi musician Hebert Kaleth Ibarra Castro was detained in late June before being released on bond.

Luis Morales, a Venezuelan-born Seventh-day Adventist pastor who has overseen four churches in the Houston area since January 2023, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on August 6, 2026, while traveling with his wife for vacation. According to ICE, Morales's Temporary Protected Status was revoked on November 20, 2025, and he remained in the country afterward. His wife, Karina, said the couple has a pending asylum claim. The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists stated that Morales holds valid employment authorization and expressed concern for him and his family.

A member of the Delgado family was arrested by ICE in San Antonio, Texas. According to community members, the family has been part of the San Antonio community for a long time, with children attending local schools and parents involved in community activities including youth sports and advocacy for community rights.

Gabar Choli, a Kurdish filmmaker and activist, has spoken publicly for the first time about being force-fed by ICE medical staff over eight months while on hunger strike at Port Isabel federal detention center in Texas from May 2025 to January 2026. Choli staged the hunger strike to protest detention conditions and push for resolution of his immigration case after his asylum application was denied. A Guardian investigation found that between January 2025 and August 2026, ICE obtained court orders for involuntary medical treatment for 18 hunger strikers. Choli was subsequently deported and is now living in Canada.

Daniel Palencia arrived in the United States in 2016 at age 11 with his mother, crossing the Mexico-U.S. border at El Paso, Texas, where they turned themselves in to immigration authorities and sought legal status. He was detained for three months in deplorable conditions, including cold rooms where temperatures dropped at night and blankets were confiscated, and overcrowded holding areas he described as "cages" designed for 4-5 people but sometimes holding 40 individuals where "we were sleeping on top of each other." After being transferred to JK Airport in New York for additional detention, his family hired a lawyer and obtained asylum status. Palencia moved to Southold to live with his grandparents, attended local schools, and has worked for Marcello Masonry for two years. Reflecting on his experience and that of detained coworker Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, he stated: "There are bad people out there. But you can't arrest everybody for the way they look or if they speak Spanish. You can't arrest hard-working people who are trying to support their families."

Gabriel Johnson, a 55-year-old pastor from North Carolina who came to the U.S. as a teenager, suffered a stroke while in ICE custody after more than 16 days in detention facilities in Georgia and Texas. According to his family, he repeatedly requested medical care during his detention, claiming he was denied adequate food, water, prescribed medication, and medical attention. Johnson has withholding of removal status, which bars him from being deported to Liberia. After experiencing stroke-like symptoms, he was taken to a hospital in Texas, but ICE has not provided his family with information about his medical care or condition since his hospitalization. The family has filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General.

Pastor Luis Morales Pérez, a Venezuelan Seventh-day Adventist pastor who oversees four congregations in the Houston area and is a father of two daughters, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport while traveling with his wife, Karina, for a vacation to New York. According to Karina, agents approached the couple shortly after they entered the airport, called Morales by name, and took him into custody. Morales held valid employment authorization to serve with the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and had a pending asylum claim. His Temporary Protected Status, granted in December 2023, was revoked after DHS ended TPS for Venezuelan nationals, a move the Supreme Court allowed to take effect; ICE said he remained in the country after the revocation took effect on November 20, 2025. He is being held at Livingston Detention Center. Church leaders described his "commitment to our mission and the families he serves" as "unwavering" and asked congregants to pray for his family.

Luis Morales, a Venezuelan pastor who leads four Adventist churches in the Houston area, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Aug. 6 while preparing to fly to New York with his wife to visit their daughters. Morales came to the U.S. with his wife, Karina, and their two daughters in 2020 and the family has lived in Houston since 2023. His wife says his Temporary Protected Status was revoked in November 2025, but the family's asylum case remains pending, and they had not received any deportation orders. Morales remains held at an ICE detention center in Livingston, Texas, while his family awaits answers.

Valeria Saya, a Venezuelan resident of Eagle Pass, Texas, is seeking help to free her father Ronaldo, mother Odalys, and younger brother Ronaldo Jr., who were all detained by ICE within days of each other. Her father was detained at a checkpoint while driving a truck and presented his documents; the family has work permits and Social Security numbers. Her mother and brother were later detained while returning from Laredo to Eagle Pass. Her brother, who is about to graduate high school and wants to be an engineer, has struggled emotionally in detention at Dilley, losing interest in eating and sleeping most of the day. According to Valeria's attorney, the family has strong prospects for release as both parents have no criminal history.

Laura Rojas Ortiz, a 21-year-old mother, was detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas for more than 40 days while five months pregnant with a high-risk pregnancy. She was detained during a routine ICE check-in in Dallas while in the process of applying for a U visa after being shot at in her neighborhood, despite regularly appearing for check-ins while wearing an ankle monitor. During her detention, Rojas Ortiz did not receive an ultrasound, specialist care, or blood tests despite her high-risk pregnancy status. Her mother, Paola, reported that her infant son, who has a lactose intolerance, was given whole milk at the facility. According to family accounts, facility staff moved her to a medical room during a congressional visit, then removed her when lawmakers left. Advocacy groups including Each Step Home provided commissary support to help her purchase food for her children.

Four construction workers were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, August 6, 2026, following a traffic stop conducted by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers outside Austin City Hall. DPS troopers, who are federally certified Designated Immigration Officers under the 287(g) program, pulled over a vehicle at Guadalupe Street and César Chávez Street after observing it driving the wrong way on a one-way street just before 9:30 a.m. The driver did not have a valid driver's license. After determining that all four occupants were not lawfully present in the United States, troopers contacted ICE agents, who arrived within three to four minutes and took the individuals into custody, confiscating their phones. The detention occurred while the Austin City Council was holding a budget meeting, and community members expressed outrage during public comment. By Thursday evening, family members did not know where the detainees had been taken. City Council members, including Mike Siegel, condemned the operation, with Siegel characterizing it as "state-sponsored kidnapping" and criticizing the collaboration between DPS and ICE.

José Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran man, was deported to Honduras in April 2026 after being detained while traveling to Seattle, despite holding Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) granted in 2023. He had been living in Raleigh with relatives and is the father of a three-year-old U.S.-born child. In June 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered DHS to return him to the U.S. and restore his legal status. Martinez-Andino returned on August 5, 2026, but was flown to a detention facility in Harlingen, Texas rather than North Carolina, where he remains detained awaiting legal relief.

The Guardian's investigation reveals at least 10 cases since January 2025 in which ICE subjected detained immigrants to involuntary force-feeding through nasogastric tubes. Three cases are detailed: an Afghan man force-fed daily for nearly six months at Port Isabel in Texas starting September 2025; Andriy Shepitsen, a Ukrainian man with severe bipolar disorder, whose attorney intervened to stop his force-feeding at Krome Service processing center in Miami after 44 days on hunger strike; and a Saudi Arabian woman who went on hunger strike in Louisiana in June 2025 and was transferred to Texas, where ICE sought permission to force-feed her before she broke her strike. Medical experts and human rights organizations have condemned force-feeding as torture. In six of the 10 cases reviewed, detained immigrants lacked legal representation during court proceedings, and most records remain sealed.

Paola Vanessa Prieto Valles was detained by ICE, creating emotional and financial hardship for her family. Described as a caring family member and dear friend, her absence has deeply affected those who love and depend on her. Her family is raising funds to cover legal representation, court-related expenses, communication costs, and other essential needs during her detention.

Berhanu Kibret, a pharmacy instructor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy since 2023, was detained by federal immigration agents at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on July 21, 2026, while returning from an American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy conference where he had just been honored as a teacher of the year. Authorities alleged he was undocumented and had overstayed a visa that expired May 31, 2024, despite his holding valid work authorization. University of Maryland officials described him as "an effective and beloved teacher" and a "highly valued" colleague. Kibret remained in detention following the arrest. His detention occurred the same day Ecuadorian traveler Chantal Morales Rojas was detained at Denver International Airport, amid a broader increase in ICE enforcement activity at U.S. airports.

A Guardian investigation found that the Trump administration's ICE officials attempted to subject at least 10 hunger strikers in immigrant detention to involuntary medical procedures including force-feeding between 2025 and 2026. At least three detainees were definitely subjected to force-feeding, and two more were probably forced to undergo the procedures, while five others ended their hunger strikes before the procedures began. DHS obtained court orders authorizing detention center guards to physically restrain hunger strikers while medical staff inserted feeding tubes and performed other involuntary procedures considered torture by human rights groups.

A U.S.-born teenager and his father allege they were beaten by ICE agents during a traffic stop in Houston. The teen, a citizen, states that he and his father were subjected to physical force during the encounter with federal immigration enforcement officers.

Emely Charloth Suaza Chambo, a 16-year-old student at Churchill High School in San Antonio, was detained by ICE while on her way to church. ICE agents told her father, Fernando Suaza Ortiz, who was employed at the Hilton Garden Inn, to pick her up or she would be sent out of state. When he arrived at the location to collect his daughter, he was also taken into ICE custody. Both have pending asylum cases and are being held at the Dilley detention facility in Texas. Congressman Joaquin Castro shared their story on social media.

Mario Alfonso Rivera Santiago, detained at Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, filed a pro se Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 against the Department of Homeland Security and the Warden of Rio Grande Detention Center. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered respondents to submit their response by August 7, 2026, with Rivera Santiago able to reply by August 21, 2026. The court also ordered respondents to notify it at least five days before any anticipated transfer or removal of Rivera Santiago outside the Southern District of Texas.

Xiaohong Zheng filed a habeas corpus petition while detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. The court ordered respondents to provide information about when Zheng entered the United States, whether Zheng was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of Zheng's immigration and removal proceedings. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days of electronic service.

Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan lawful permanent resident, was arrested in Texas and is the subject of the first-ever case brought in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a specialized federal court created in 1996 but never used until now. The Trump administration is seeking to deport her, alleging she helped her son and son-in-law plan a mass casualty attack on behalf of ISIS during the 2024 election. Public defenders challenged the proceedings on due process grounds, though the judge allowed the case to proceed.

Prem Raj Pun Magar, a Nepali national, filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus challenging the constitutionality of his detention in federal immigration custody. He is currently detained at the Rio Grande Processing Center. The petition names Miguel Vergara (ICE-ERO Field Office Director), Markwayne Mullin (Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Todd Blanche (U.S. Attorney General), and the Warden of the Rio Grande Processing Center as respondents. On August 3, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered respondents to file a response to the petition by August 10, 2026, with evidence from Magar's A-file. The court directed notification to the U.S. Attorney and ordered respondents to notify the court and Magar's counsel of any planned transfer or release.

Diana Avila's 20-year-old brother, who has autism since childhood and is described as intelligent, generous, and a good student, was arrested by ICE during an ongoing legal process and transferred between states. He is currently detained in Texas, where he reports being denied blankets, medicine, and adequate food. He developed a stomach infection and is experiencing high fevers but says staff insults and threatens him when he requests medical care, pressuring him to sign deportation papers. His family is unable to afford legal representation and fears for his safety.

José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a Mexican citizen who has lived continuously in the United States since 1998, was detained by ICE agents on July 7, 2026, after witnessing a fatal shooting in Houston. Pliego was a passenger in a work van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old homebuilder and father of three who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal status. ICE agents pursued the vehicle, rammed it, and shot Araujo, who had no criminal record. Pliego, who is in a common-law marriage with a U.S. citizen and has multiple U.S. citizen children and stepchildren, and Araujo's other passenger submitted sworn statements describing the shooting differently from the government's account, stating that agents were not positioned in front of the vehicle and that it had been boxed in when the officer fired. This contradicted DHS's claim that Araujo had "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer." After being held at the Montgomery Processing Center for weeks with no criminal history, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered ICE to release Pliego on July 29, 2026, finding that his mandatory detention without an individualized bond determination violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. Pliego has applied for a U-visa as a possible crime victim related to the ICE shooting, with the Harris County District Attorney's Office supporting that application.

Aurora, 24, and her six-year-old daughter were detained by ICE and sent to a family detention center in Texas. The daughter had arrived at the U.S. border alone and spent more than six months in a child migrant shelter before reuniting with her mother in late March. The detention occurred after the Office of Refugee Resettlement shared information about unaccompanied children, their sponsors, and household members with ICE.

Nepthali Zozaya Saucedo and Cinthia Sarai Cardona Otero, assistant pastors at Comunidad Cristiana Emanuel in Edinburg, Texas, were detained by immigration agents on Thursday while boarding a flight to a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association retreat—their first time away from their three children. The married couple was released on Saturday. During a Sunday worship service and press conference, they revealed that immigration agents allegedly mocked them and threatened family separation to coerce them to sign voluntary departure papers. DHS claimed they had overstayed a visa that expired in 2022, but faith leaders disputed this, saying the couple held valid religious worker visas. The couple must report to ICE in person in 6 months and call in monthly, with their immigration cases to be heard by an immigration judge.

José Arturo Vilchez, a Venezuelan national, was detained by police during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas and transferred to ICE. According to his sister, Vilchez was stopped while driving his daughter to a heart specialist appointment; the child was born with a heart condition. His sister stated that Vilchez has no prior legal problems, has never been a public charge, and even paid for his sister-in-law's delivery expenses. She characterized the stop as racially motivated and said the family is now without their primary source of support.

A group of construction workers was detained by ICE agents while working at a construction site in Brownsville, Texas. According to a video recorded by the work supervisor, ICE agents arrived at the location and asked about two specific people; when workers said they did not know who those people were, agents began detaining other workers. The person recording the video was also detained after approaching one of their coworkers who was being questioned by agents.

Yasmin Suarez Reyes, a 45-year-old Venezuelan citizen with dual Spanish citizenship, was arrested by ICE agents at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on July 24, 2026, while preparing to travel with her fiancé, Texas businessman John Gannon. Suarez Reyes entered the U.S. legally in October 2023 under the Visa Waiver Program and filed for asylum in January 2024 before her initial 90-day stay expired. While her asylum case remained pending, she obtained a work permit and Texas driver's license and had no criminal record. According to Gannon, ICE officers "swarmed" Suarez Reyes without explanation and "wrestled her off into a car." DHS said she was detained for illegal overstay after her lawful admission expired on January 19, 2024, noting that pending asylum applications do not confer legal status. Suarez Reyes was being held at Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas for deportation processing. Gannon told media he regretted voting for Trump, saying agents are "picking up law-abiding citizens" and "destroying families."

Pastors Nepthalí Zozaya Saucedo and Cinthia Saraí Cardona Otero, who have served at Comunidad Cristiana Emanuel Assemblies of God in Edinburg, Texas for over 10 years, were detained by ICE on July 23, 2026, at McAllen International Airport while traveling to a marriage retreat in North Carolina. According to church leaders, the couple held valid R-1 religious worker visas. The pastors and their church representatives reported that ICE agents pressured them to sign voluntary deportation papers under threat of separation from their three U.S. citizen children at a U.S. Border Patrol processing center in McAllen. DHS claimed the pastors overstayed their visas. Faith leaders, including the Assemblies of God and Latino Christian National Network, called for their immediate release and an investigation into ICE's conduct.

Safiatou Mansare is a national of Guinea currently detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Cameron County, Texas. She has protection from removal to Guinea. Respondents intend to remove her imminently to Ghana, a third country, without providing her a reasonable fear interview regarding removal to that country. Mansare filed a verified petition challenging her removal as violating her constitutional rights and seeking a temporary restraining order. The court found that her removal would cause immediate and irreparable injury, as she would be unable to seek habeas relief if removed. On August 5, 2026, the court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting removal to a designated third country less than seven days after providing notice, requiring compliance with March 2025 Guidance procedures regardless of diplomatic assurances, and prohibiting transfer outside the Southern District of Texas except to a third country subject to the order's conditions. The court ordered Mansare to file a response to the motion to dismiss by August 14, 2026, clarifying jurisdictional bases for her claims.

Jose Alfonso Reyes Mendez is currently detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. He filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, challenging his detention. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days identifying pertinent factual and procedural background information, including the date Petitioner entered the United States, whether he was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of his immigration and/or removal proceedings. The petitioner may file a reply within 7 days after the respondents' response.

Lisset Tortoza-Alvarez filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging her detention at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. The court ordered respondents to file a response within 7 days identifying pertinent factual and procedural background information, including the date petitioner entered the United States, whether she was previously apprehended and released by immigration authorities, and the status of her immigration and removal proceedings.

Luis Oswaldo Segura Navarrete, detained at Webb County Detention Center in federal immigration custody, filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus challenging the constitutionality of his detention. The court ordered respondents (the Warden, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of ICE) to file a response by July 30, 2026, with the petitioner able to reply by August 13, 2026. The court also ordered that respondents notify the court of any planned transfer or release.

Luis Andrade-Garcia, 20, a Texas Christian University student from El Salvador who arrived in the U.S. at age 3, was arrested on June 28 in Arlington after police spotted his parked vehicle near Meadowbrook Park and he drove away. He was charged with disorderly conduct and fleeing from a police officer, later pleaded down to a class C misdemeanor, and paid approximately $200 in fines. An immigration hold was placed on him while in custody at Tarrant County Jail. ICE took him into custody on July 10 and deported him to El Salvador on July 22. Andrade-Garcia was a double major in accounting and business information systems at TCU, graduated as valedictorian from Sam Houston High School in 2024, ran cross country, received multiple scholarships, and mentored young Latino students in the community. Members of his fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi, described him as 'genuine, hardworking, selfless, honest, dependable and humble.' According to ICE, Andrade-Garcia had entered the U.S. in 2009 and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in March 2010 but remained in the country. His fraternity chapter launched a 'Lambda Week of Action' and created a GoFundMe that raised over $11,000 to assist him and his family.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and Daniel Tirado Pantoja, both Mexican citizens who had lived in the United States for decades without criminal records, were rear passengers in a van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo when ICE agents fatally shot the driver on July 7, 2026, in Houston. Both men were detained by ICE following the incident. In their federal court statements, both witnesses contradicted the government's account of the shooting. Rojas Pliego, who is in a common-law marriage with a U.S. citizen and has seven U.S. citizen children and stepchildren, described unmarked ICE vehicles cornering the van and stated it was "impossible" that officers were in danger after the driver stopped. He reported being pulled from the vehicle, handcuffed, and thrown to the ground by the officer who fired the shots. Tirado Pantoja, described by his employer as a devoted family man with integrity and dedication, stated that agents were positioned only to the sides of the van and that Salgado Araujo had come to a full stop before being shot. Both men filed habeas corpus petitions challenging their confinement and applied for U visas for crime victims who assist law enforcement. On July 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered the Department of Homeland Security not to deport either witness or transfer them outside the Southern District of Texas without court permission while their habeas petitions are pending.

Eduard Portillo, described by his mother Fanny as a dedicated father, son, brother, and friend who works hard to support his child, was arrested by ICE. His family is raising money to cover legal expenses needed for his immigration release and to help reunite the family.

Agustin Morales-Renteria, a 24-year-old, was deported to Mexico on July 21, 2026, where he is wanted for aggravated homicide. Morales-Renteria first entered the U.S. without authorization in September 2021 and was expelled under COVID-19 protocols, but reentered without authorization in October 2021 to evade prosecution after Mexican authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. In December 2024, ICE encountered him at a sheriff's office in Jackson County, Missouri, following his arrest for tampering with a motor vehicle and felony drug possession, though no immigration action was taken at that time. In November 2025, he was convicted of being a noncitizen in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. After his release from federal custody in May 2026, ICE took custody of him, and an immigration judge ordered his removal on July 2, 2026. He was deported from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to Mexican authorities at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas. Juan Becerra Ruiz, 24, was deported to Mexico on July 21, 2026, after an immigration judge ordered his removal. Becerra Ruiz is wanted in Mexico for intentional homicide on a warrant issued in Querétaro on October 21, 2022. He entered the U.S. without authorization at an unknown date and location. In May 2026, U.S. Border Patrol received notice of the warrant and his location in the Houston area. On June 4, 2026, Border Patrol agents detained him during a traffic stop in Spring, Texas, and transferred custody to ICE. An immigration judge ordered his removal on June 30, and ICE completed the deportation on July 21, transferring him to Mexican authorities at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas.

Pablo Alexis Gonzalez Govea is detained at T. Don Hutto Detention Center and has filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging the lawfulness of his detention without bond. He claims his detention violates his Fifth Amendment rights and the Immigration and Nationality Act. The petition indicates he is in removal proceedings but does not specify his country of origin, immigration status, employment history, family ties, or how long he has lived in the United States. On July 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ordered respondents to show cause by July 27, 2026, why the writ should not be granted. The court also issued a stay preventing his removal from the United States or transfer outside the Austin Division pending litigation.

F.S., a 32-year-old asylum seeker from Guatemala, was arrested by ICE after beginning the vetting process to gain custody of her 13-year-old son, who has been in a federal shelter for over eight months as of July 2026. F.S. fled Guatemala in 2023 due to violence and had been living in the U.S. while her asylum case was pending, making four-hour drives to visit her son weekly at the shelter. When she came forward to sponsor him, ICE arrested her as part of the Trump administration's operation targeting undocumented sponsors. Her son's mental health has severely deteriorated during his prolonged shelter stay; he has been prescribed anxiety medications and was recently admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Both mother and son have agreed to accept deportation to reunite sooner. F.S. fears retaliation for speaking publicly about her case.