Human Impact Project

A mother identified as Patricia was detained by ICE agents during a vehicle stop in North Austin, Texas, after dropping off her child near a school bus stop. A witness livestreaming the arrest said the woman was crying and worried no one would be able to pick up her children, and was able to reach her husband, who watched the arrest unfold on the broadcast. Video shared by the child's father, Leonardo Pelaez, showed the boy crying nearby as vehicles with flashing lights idled, though he said the mother stayed with the child until the bus arrived. Austin Mayor Pro Tem Jose "Chito" Vela publicized the footage, calling the arrest "evil" and saying a school bus stop was an inappropriate location for enforcement. ICE said it released the woman about 10 minutes after learning she was the sole caregiver of minor children, though it disputed that any children were present during the stop or linked to the crying child; Vela's office later confirmed the child was safe with family. The family reportedly had a missed immigration appointment months earlier, though no official confirmation was given that this caused the arrest, and no details on the woman's immigration status were provided.

Daniela Leiva and her husband, José Gregorio Chacón Pérez, were detained by ICE, according to a GoFundMe campaign started by Daniela's sister. The family describes the emotional toll of the detention, including a young niece who misses her aunt, and mothers in Venezuela and Chile who are unable to be with their children. The campaign aims to raise $10,000 to cover legal expenses and other costs related to the couple's detention.

ICE agents chased and tackled a man inside an H-E-B grocery store in Alamo, Texas, in Hidalgo County's Rio Grande Valley, with video of the arrest circulating widely on social media. Agents and an Alamo police officer apprehended the man in a store aisle, handcuffing him while he lay face down on the floor. H-E-B said the pursuit began off its property before the man was taken into custody inside the store, and that the company had no prior knowledge of or involvement in the incident. No details on the man's identity or the reason for his arrest have been released.

Miguel Parra-Hernandez, a 48-year-old Mexican man who has lived in the U.S. for 34 years with no criminal record, was struck by an unmarked, tinted ICE SUV on October 10, 2026, while fleeing on foot through a Houston parking lot during an operation targeting Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, who had a final removal order and prior arrests. Parra-Hernandez suffered a shattered ankle, a leg broken in three places, and hip injuries requiring hospitalization and surgery, with more procedures needed, and remains in ICE custody. His attorney, Kim Bruno, and FIEL Houston director Cesar Espinosa said ICE agents cut short their hospital visit after 10-15 minutes and recorded the conversation before forcing them out. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said surveillance video contradicts ICE's claim that Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle and is considering aggravated assault charges against the agent, while ICE has refused to cooperate with the investigation or release the vehicle's data recorder. Two witnesses to the crash, including Luis Delfín Enríquez, a Houston small business owner with no criminal record and an approved immigration case, were detained separately and moved to a detention facility before investigators could interview them; Teare's office said it will sponsor U-visa petitions for the witnesses. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said she was 'horrified' and, along with family and FIEL Houston, demanded Parra-Hernandez's release, video release, and an investigation.

Luis Delfín Enríquez, 48, a Houston small business owner who employs people from his community, was apprehended by ICE while on his way to breakfast with employees on Saturday and handcuffed in the backseat of an ICE vehicle. His sister, Nidia Delfín, said he has no criminal record or arrest warrants and was in the process of applying for a green card when he was detained. Delfín witnessed the same ICE vehicle strike and injure Miguel Parra Hernandez as Parra fled on foot, and his family says they are speaking out despite fear of retaliation so that Parra "can get justice." Advocates are pushing to ensure Delfín and another man who witnessed the incident are not deported before they can be interviewed by investigators.

Sorayda Noyola, 31, her sister Claudia, 19, and a younger sibling, around 14, were detained by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents near their mother's home in the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas after stopping to film federal agents conducting an immigration arrest at a construction site. When Sorayda objected to an agent trying to seize her phone, agents tackled all three siblings to the ground and handcuffed them; the youngest sibling said an officer knelt behind his knee, causing sharp pain, and he was separated from his mother, a green card holder, who feared she would also be detained. Sorayda and Claudia were held for hours at the ICE Field Office in Harlingen, and agents confiscated phones from the siblings without returning them. MALDEF filed a Federal Tort Claims Act administrative claim on the siblings' behalf seeking $2.5 million in damages for personal injury and $2,000 for each lost phone, alleging unlawful assault, arrest, and detention. DHS stated it respects the First Amendment right to observe and film but will intervene if filming interferes with operations. The case is among more than 500 reports nationally of U.S. citizens detained during immigration enforcement actions.

Daniel's father was detained by ICE and is being deported, leaving Daniel suddenly responsible for household expenses including rent, electric bills, and car insurance for their trailer home. Daniel, who depended on his father financially, is now job hunting while grieving the sudden loss of his father from daily life and is considering leaving school to avoid losing their home. A GoFundMe campaign was launched by his sister to help him stay current on rent and bills during the crisis.

Christian Coronado, a father of seven, was detained by ICE agents on his property in Edinburg, Texas. His wife, Anel, told N+ Univision that three of their children witnessed the arrest and said one of the agents struck Christian in the shoulder during the detention. Their 13-year-old daughter learned of her father's detention while at school, after videos of the operation began circulating on social media. "She came home from school and said, 'Where's my dad?'" Anel recounted.

Adela Nohemy Castellanos, who gave birth two months earlier, is detained with her 10-year-old daughter Sofia at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, separated from her husband and three other children. According to her family, Adela cannot tolerate the facility's food, is under significant stress, and is unable to sleep while recovering from childbirth. Her attorneys have filed an appeal of her deportation.

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old HVAC worker from Austin born in Denver, Colorado, was riding in his employer's truck near Fredericksburg, Texas, on April 3, 2026, when a state trooper stopped the vehicle over an alleged window-tint violation. He repeatedly told officers he was a citizen and offered his birth certificate, Social Security card, and baptismal record, but said they refused to accept the documents; the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office held him before Border Patrol took custody. He said agents mocked his citizenship claim and pressured him into signing paperwork admitting illegal entry, which he did to avoid prolonged detention and reunite with his pregnant wife in Mexico. He was deported four to five days after the stop, missing the birth of his daughter and spending nearly five months with relatives in Mexico. His attorneys, including Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, filed a federal lawsuit alleging coercion and racial profiling, submitting his birth certificate, hospital records, baptismal certificate, and witness affidavits, while DHS disputed his citizenship claim. A federal judge called the case 'highly unusual' and ordered discovery; the Department of Justice agreed to let him return to Austin on August 30, 2026. His civil rights lawsuit continues, and his case is cited among more than 500 reported instances of U.S. citizens detained by ICE nationally.

Osmar, a fiancé described by his family as a loving son and loyal friend, presented himself to immigration authorities as part of his immigration process and was unexpectedly detained. He was placed in ICE custody following an attempted deportation to Argentina that could not be completed, and he remains in custody while his family seeks funds for attorneys and legal costs. His fiancée started a fundraiser to help cover legal fees, transportation, and other expenses related to his case.

Jose Mejia Hernandez, a 45-year-old Mexican immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years and works two jobs in commercial cleaning and office maintenance, was approached by plainclothes, masked ICE agents in an unmarked vehicle while walking to a bus stop near Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia on August 11. He fled, was shocked with a stun gun, and was struck by a vehicle, suffering two black eyes, facial lacerations, brain swelling, and a subarachnoid brain bleed. He was hospitalized for several days at George Washington University Hospital with ICE officers stationed in his room, and his attorneys say a hospital employee had to demand he be given a bed and an interpreter. He later returned for an MRI due to worsening symptoms and says an ankle monitor fitted by ICE delayed further medical testing, leaving him struggling to eat, sleep, speak normally, or work. His attorneys have filed a police report seeking criminal charges, notified federal agencies under the Federal Tort Claims Act, filed a $35 million excessive force claim, and are pursuing a U visa on his behalf. DHS disputes his account, saying officers used necessary force after he fled and citing a prior voluntary return to Mexico and a 2020 public intoxication conviction, and he has since been placed in deportation proceedings. Arlington County Police have opened an investigation, and Virginia officials including Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Reps. Don Beyer, Suhas Subramanyam and James Walkinshaw have criticized the circumstances of his arrest, which occurred during a broader ICE enforcement surge that led to roughly 1,300 arrests across the D.C. area in August.

Samuel Nnamdi, a 45-year-old pastor and father of five at a small church in Mesquite, Texas, was detained by ICE agents on July 6 while on his way to his job at UPS, still in his work uniform, where he had worked legally for five years with employment authorization and no criminal record. He was later deported to Ghana, a country he had never visited and has no ties to, despite a 2019 immigration judge ruling granting him withholding of removal protecting him from being sent back to his native Nigeria, where he said gunmen had threatened to kill him for preaching. His attorney, Julie Justice, said he was not given proper notice before being deported. His case has been described as part of a broader pattern of third-country deportations, in which the government removes people to nations with which they have no ties through diplomatic agreements with foreign governments. Nnamdi now lives in hiding in West Africa, separated from his wife and children, two of whom are U.S. citizens, connecting with them through video calls before school and on weekends.

A 15-year-old boy with an intellectual disability wandered away from his mother's fruit stand in Texas to find a bathroom and did not return; after an overnight search, authorities found him but failed to recognize him as the missing child or locate a guardian, so they contacted ICE, which sent him to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. He remained in ORR care for 48 days despite his mother's pleas for his release, and developed appendicitis requiring emergency surgery while in custody.

Andrés, an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy who likes to draw and paint, was arrested alongside his father Luis outside their El Paso home by masked ICE agents who did not present a warrant. Agents separated the two, deeming Andrés 'unaccompanied' despite the fact he had lived with his father for years, and transferred him to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody and temporary foster care while Luis remained in detention unable to locate him for days. Luis, who held Temporary Protected Status after fleeing political threats in Venezuela, said agents 'tricked' him; his attorney later filed a federal petition arguing Andrés was unlawfully detained.

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen from San Antonio, was fatally shot three times by Homeland Security Investigations Agent Jack Stevens in March 2025 on South Padre Island, Texas, while traveling with his best friend Joshua Orta to celebrate his birthday. Federal officials claimed Martinez tried to run over the agent with his car, but bodycam footage later obtained through a FOIA lawsuit showed his vehicle stationary or barely moving with brake lights engaged when agents fired through the window; Martinez was then pulled from the car, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed before receiving medical care, and died at a Brownsville hospital. Orta, the only civilian witness, said Martinez was 'hesitant' and 'scared'; he died in a car crash less than a year later. The government did not disclose the shooting for nearly a year, until the nonprofit American Oversight obtained the incident report. Martinez's mother, Rachel Reyes, said Texas Rangers investigators told her the footage contradicted the agents' account. A Cameron County grand jury declined to indict Stevens, and the family has filed a tort claim against the federal government for wrongful death and requested a federal investigation and release of records.

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker who entered the U.S. legally through CBP One in 2024 and held a valid work permit, was shot in the back by an ICE agent on September 20, 2026, during a traffic stop while delivering for DoorDash in North Austin. Federal prosecutors allege he struck an officer with his car's side mirror and fled, while he says an unmarked ICE vehicle rammed and spun his car before he was shot, unaware it belonged to ICE. He suffered a fractured clavicle and a bullet lodged near his spine causing partial paralysis, and his attorney said he faced risk of infection without surgery and received no pain medication in custody. A federal magistrate judge found prosecutors had not clearly shown he was a danger to the community but ruled him a flight risk and denied bond; his attorney said he would pursue a habeas corpus case. He faces DOJ charges of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer carrying up to 20 years in prison, which his defense disputes, and a separate deportation order prompted his attorneys to sue to block removal. The shooting, partly captured on bystander video, prompted protests of over 150 people and calls from Rep. Greg Casar, Mayor Kirk Watson, and Rep. Joaquin Castro for an independent investigation and release of body-camera footage.

Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban migrant and father of four who suffered from asthma, bipolar disorder and anxiety, died on January 3, 2026, at Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, following a physical altercation with guards. Fellow detainee Antonio Frometa Ascón, who knew Campos from Guantánamo, said he watched guards beat and handcuff Campos as he begged for his inhaler; other witnesses heard him scream 'I can't breathe!' before he was taken away and never returned. A separate detainee, Gonzalo, who had survived a 12-day journey through the Darién Gap marked by violence and robbery, described witnessing guards put a foot on a cellmate's neck during a protest over detention conditions, an account consistent with Campos's death. The El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide from asphyxia due to neck and torso compression. DHS maintains guards were trying to save Campos's life, while a GAO report found the facility's contractor failed to provide required reports and that evidence was missing or destroyed. No one has been charged; his death was among 37 detainee deaths in ICE custody reported since last fall, the deadliest year on record for the agency.

Anyi Hernandez-Escobar came to the United States from Honduras in 2018, eight months pregnant and fleeing what she described as a desperate situation, and was detained for four days before being granted parole to remain temporarily. She later married U.S. citizen Patrick Keating, who became a father figure to her son Daniel, and the couple had a daughter together in May 2025. A Houston immigration judge rejected her request to temporarily close her removal proceedings while she pursued a green card through her marriage, a decision her attorney said followed a June agreement between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Department of Justice ending a Biden-era policy that allowed such closures. Without that option, her attorney says she may need to leave for Honduras to pursue an immigrant visa, and her seven-year-old son Daniel may be unable to go with her because his biological father has not surrendered custodial rights.

Gregory Sanabria Tarazona, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and former political prisoner who endured years in detention in Venezuela, was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in in Houston weeks before his scheduled asylum hearing. He was taken to an ICE processing center despite holding a valid work permit while his asylum case was pending. Amnesty International called for his release, and a Republican congressman formally wrote to the Department of Homeland Security requesting intervention on his behalf.